Solemn Tales
by JKrlin
Summary: Team SOLM didn't expect to go to Beacon. Stane, Onni, Leon, and Megan didn't know what to expect. They would have preferred to work alone. Who knows, maybe learning how to become Hunters and Huntresses will mean something. It was never part of their plan to go out and protect the world from Grimm, but if it means their friends get to live another day, then they'll get the job done.
1. Prologue

A figure sung the latest tune to catch his interest in his head as he stood tall near the edge of a cliff. The red vegetation of Forever Fall flowed behind him with the breeze. There was the small chirping of crows and the very faint sound of a train whistle.

The tall individual in his tan cloak took another bite of his apple. The cloth shrouded his seemingly skinny form. After his last bite into his snack, he threw the apple core over the edge. He crossed his arms, clad in dark, black sleeves, over a silver breastplate. He wiped off some imaginary dust on his tight fitting jeans and shuffled his feet in his black boots, a few strands of his red, messy hair momentarily blocking his crimson eyes.

In one hand was a metallic pole painted to resemble the midnight sky. One end pressed into the ground while the other stopped short near his forehead. A curved blade sat at the top, simple in design but sharp enough for the boy to cut off the irritating threads with a gentle push.

As the whistling grew louder, the thuds of sprinting from behind him did as well. Once the train was clearly visible in the distance, the boy pulled his hood over his head.

The crows squeaked and flew away with the arrival of two old friends.

"You done daydreaming, Stane?" curtly asked Adam.

"I don't know, you get that stick out of your ass?" Stane replied in his ardent voice without turning his head.

Blake sighed. "Can we please just get this done with?"

"How about you, Blake? Did you get _your_ stick out of –" Blake jumped and slid down the side of the cliff. Stane looked to Adam, who was an inch taller, with a smile. "She missed me, didn't she?"

Adam sighed. "You're still a prick, Stane." Then he followed Blake.

"I resemble that remark pretty well, y'know!" was the response that accompanied Stane's descent.

Taking turns, they each jumped once more onto the train, piercing their blades into the surface so that they wouldn't immediately slide off. With Adam leading the way, the three jumped across the train cars until reaching a hatch to enter through. Once inside, they all took a knee.

"Looks like we're doing this the hard way," Adam proclaimed as multiple Atlesian Knights activated around them.

"Don't be so dramatic," Blake chided with a smile as the robots began to circle around the intruders.

One of the droids switched out its hands for guns aimed at Adam. "Identify yourself," it commanded.

Adam merely relaxed his pose before firing Wilt and taking the Knight down. As its comrades replaced their hands with their own blades, Stane brought his naginata, affectionately named Falling Twilight, around and cut off the heads of three before they could even try to attack. Meanwhile, Blake neutralized two more with her Gambol Shroud. Within seconds, they were now surrounded by dismembered mechanic limbs, but a second wave activated from further inside the train car.

The lead Knight started firing with its miniature Gatling guns. Blake held back as Adam blocked or cut every bullet he could. Stane stood right behind him as he put a hand into the innards of his cloak. Out came a red and black colored Desert Eagle. Stane aimed and scored a headshot, but he had fired right next to Adam's ear.

"Really?!" Adam screamed, covering his left ear as Blake moved forward to deal with the remaining robots.

Stane did not give an excuse, simply giving a shrug. Adam glared but decided to drop the matter and went to kick an approaching Knight out through the door of the train car.

Blake and Adam exited and halted where said Knight landed on the platform. More robots apparently not wanting to use their ranged attacks went to come closer with their blades.

Adam nodded to his female companion. "Let's do this."

Suddenly, a glass bottle with flew over their heads. They caught the glimpse of orange and red on it before the brown container shattered on the ground, creating a circle of bright, silver flames. Some Knights landed into the fire, some couldn't get out of the way in time, and several were ignited and down for the count.

"Thought you ran out of fuel for those," Adam said as Stane caught up and trained his gun forward.

"Got more during another raid."

"Trying to steal the show, as always, huh?" Another group of robots were advancing further down the platform.

"Maybe."

Stane and Blake fired their weapons. Adam jumped over the fire and proceeded to slice and dice. Not long after he began his assault, Blake followed, choosing to dual-wield her weapon. Stane remained where he was a couple of more seconds longer until his handgun clicked, signifying a lack of bullets. Walking leisurely onward, he reloaded and holstered it. He took out his naginata and joined the fray.

The redhead somersaulted in the air, landing by cutting an unsuspecting Knight in half. About three or four withdrew from attacking Blake and Adam and targeted Stane, surrounding him with flames flowing from behind him.

He crouched and let his weapon sit atop his shoulder for. When the droids initiated their attack, Stane gripped his weapon from the end and hurled it around in a circular motion, taking out his aggressors. As more tried to succeed where their brethren failed, Stane repeated his previous attack, but had to spin around a few more times since the robots got smarter and either blocked or dodged.

Gripping the metal of pole with both hands, Stane pushed his blade forward into a robot's neck. He pulled back and struck another before the first could even drop down. A third attempted to roundhouse kick Stane from the side but had its leg cut off. It tried to crawl away, but Stane stabbed its head. With the Twilight standing vertically, he used on hand to grab hold and spun around, kicking away two more. Stane pulled out his weapon and finished them off.

Looking up, it seemed that his teammates eliminated the rest of the Knights.

The trio entered the next car, and surprisingly, it was clear of enemies. Stane kept his guard up, though, gun at the ready.

"Prefect," Adam said as he opened up a container. He turned to Blake. "Move up to the next car. I'll set the charges."

"What about the crew members?" she asked, her expression and tone showcasing her worry.

"Expendable," Stane called out from the other end of the car.

Adam nodded, albeit hesitantly. "True, but since when were you so dismissive of collateral damage?"

Stane paused in his pacing. "You complaining?" He was avoiding the question, and Adam and Blake knew it.

Nevertheless, their work was not complete. "Let's wrap up the mission," Adam opted to say.

The sound of turning gears and machinery led the three to direct their gaze to a massive Spider Droid drop from the ceiling.

Adam smirked. "Adam…" Blake pleaded. Stane was in the process of lighting another cocktail. Unfortunately for him, the momentary distraction allowed the goliath to make a shot that blew him back. Both his lighter and his bottle were disintegrated while Stane crashed into a pile of crates.

He tried to get back up soon after, but then he spotted a barrage of blasts Adam dodged but were now coming his way. In response, Stane rolled forward and stayed prone, the blasts just barely singeing his cloak. When he got up, Adam was just setting down Blake and the Spider Droid was charging up another attack.

Stane crashed into another stack of crates but recovered much quicker than last time. He got up just in time to hear Adam say, "Buy me some time!"

"Are you sure?" Blake asked.

"Do it!"

She and Stane exchanged a look before sprinting, avoiding getting hit and began picking at the robot's armor. They weren't doing much damage, so Stane made his way to the top of the droid's head and started unloading onto it. Blake soon did the same but from underneath the head.

As they pulled back to behind Adam, the Spider Droid fired another devastating attack. However, Adam blocked it with his sword, the blue energy quickly absorbed. When the robot went for a close-quarters kill, Adam glowed red and turned it into a bunch a rose petals the dissipated in the breeze.

Adam ran to the end of the platform but stopped in confusion. Stane was sitting on a crate with his left sleeve pulled back, applying bandages to his forearm. Nothing unreasonable there, but Blake was just standing still, looking away from Adam.

Stane ignored their little interaction, not wanting to get in the way of whatever issues they were currently having with Blake's decision, but once she separated the two train cars, Stane allowed a swift salute to his old friend. Adam was still staring at Blake, but he did give an acknowledging nod in his direction.

Blake was also staring, still did even when their car stopped completely and the rest of the train was out of sight. Once her focus was back, she turned to look at Stane, who was scavenging through the crate he had sat on.

"Are you really going to become some hired gun?" she politely asked, sadness still evident in her voice.

"Mercenaries are becoming more and more of a popular commodity, especially outside the Kingdoms. I'm betting I can really profit out there." Stane stopped moving. "I think I'll lay low for a bit, though, take a break from all of this violence." He continued sifting through the Dust crystals.

She frowned. She should have expected this, but… "You can still come with me, Stane. You can become a Hunter, you can –"

"I could have done a lot of things." Stane turned to look at Blake in the eye. "How about you be the heroine you want to be, and let me be the selfish bastard I always am."

Blake winced, but she said, "I can't convince you otherwise, can I?"

He laughed a little. Humorless? Cold? Blake couldn't quite tell. "Not anymore." Stane reached into his cloak and held something out. "Before I forget, I want you to have a little something to look back on."

In his palm was a knife. The bladed edge stretched about longer than the length his hand. It looked worn and battered, but its value and effectiveness were still more than adequate for use.

"My… aunt," Stane said, his voice straining a fraction, "would've wanted you to hold onto to it anyway."

Blake's eyes widened. "But she –"

"She's dead. She did her best to raise us, and like it or not, you're her daughter." He raised it closer. "Take it."

Eventually, Blake's eyes and posture relaxed, and she took the knife, inspecting its shape. "You really think we won't be seeing each other again."

The fact that what she said was a statement and not a question confirmed Stane's suspicions that to some degree, Blake accepted their parting of ways. "We want different things in this world." Stane turned away, shutting his eyes.

"So this is goodbye?"

"Yes… Goodbye."

Stane waited a while before turning toward her again, but when he did, she was gone.

X

"Onni!" shouted a voice in the next room. "Get over here!"

A young man in a white dress shirt and a purple tie sighed. He set his magazine on the desk. He stretched his legs, his khaki slacks' integrity somewhat straining. The dark-skinned fellow grabbed his gray beanie and sauntered away, glancing at a clock. "My break's over in five minutes, Mr. Tukson."

"That clock's broken. That's another thing on your to-do-list."

Onni chuckled, dragging a hand through his exposed slick, black hair. "I'll get it done, don't worry." He pushed open a pair of double doors and was greeted with a book thrown to his face.

"Yeah right," Tukson responded with a smirk, sifting through one of several bookshelves. He waved toward a cart next to him. "These are all historical fiction. Set four of each on display and the rest back in storage."

The assistant rolled his eyes as he carefully maneuvered pass several stacks of books. "Hey, I honor my deals, old man." When he reached the cart and began to sort through it, he was bonked on the head.

"I ain't that old, kid," Tukson huffed, but his smile was still there.

"Mr. Tukson, just the other day, I heard you say, 'I'm getting too old for this sh –'"

"I did not say that, and wasn't that the day when I caught you on your scroll and –"

"Hey, I'm young, juvenile, and a growing boy with needs."

"Whatever you say kid. Point is that I'm not _that_ old."

"Really? What's with the gray strands of hair I've been finding in the back?"

Tukson's movements slowed. "What strands?"

"By that mirror this morning? I swear, you got to stop shaving around the workplace. I don't want to catch any of your fleas."

As Onni snatched another book, Tukson grabbed his wrist. The older man had an edgy look to his eyes. "Go home, kid."

"What?" Onni was taken aback, crossing his arms. "I've got another two hours left."

"You mentioned my hair. That reminded of a problem I have to take care of." Tukson put some mismatched books back on the cart and motioned toward the back room. "Get your stuff and go. You'll get your pay tomorrow." Tukson left before Onni could object.

_Crazy old man_, Onni thought, shaking his head. He decided to drop the issue and made his way to Tukson's office. It was only slightly bigger than a storage closet, but a desk, cabinets, foldable chairs, and minor décor were able to fit inside. Onni's backpack sat on top of the desk. He swiped it along with his pair of shades. Right before he was about to leave, something caught the boy's eye.

"Yo, Mr. Tukson!" Onni called out. He traversed the maze of bookshelves, jingling around a key ring in his hand. "I've got your keys!" His boss wouldn't be able to open the storage room for the cart without them.

Onni entered a corridor, and he noted that the cart of books was lying on its side. Further down the hall was a trail of forsaken books littering the floor. The trail led to the door to the alleyway.

_Who would want to rob a book shop?_ was Onni's first thought. He pocketed the key ring and drew out his pocketknife.

He walked over the books and snuck quietly to the open doorway. The sounds of a struggle could be clearly heard. Turning his head, he glanced outside.

Tukson had his claws out, swiping at a stranger. A brown boot made contact with Tukson's face. The green coated individual's white furred tail whipped around and wrapped Tukson's neck. He pushed the more muscular man to the wall. Tukson clawed at the tail, but his arms were planted against the concrete as well. The stranger breathed onto his restrained foe's face.

"Thought you could leave, Tukson?" the assaulter questioned with a sneer, a mask that had been televised more often than not nowadays covering his eyes. "Thought you could forget all about us and live with these human purists?"

"They aren't all like that, Pan," Tukson choked out, inciting his captor to tighten his hold.

"Doesn't matter. Remember how you left us? How you left Connie to rot in prison?" Pan sniffed. "And who's this?"

Onni had been tiptoeing from behind this Pan guy but had his knife promptly knocked away. One hand clutched his neck and raised him off his feet.

"You're keeping a pet with you? He has your scent. Almost didn't detect him."

Tukson's eyes widened, surprised at Onni's presence. "Let him go, Pan." Onni was trying to remove the offending hand but was only rewarded with less oxygen entering his system. "He's just a kid."

"'Just a kid'?" Pan repeated sarcastically. "Excuses like that did nothing for us! Why shouldn't I kill a human child like this little thing?"

Pan suddenly screeched in pain, releasing his grasp on Onni and Tukson. He also received a blow to the face. The trespasser reeled back, touching the cut on his cheek. Just as he was about to counter the attack, he was hit again on the kneecap. Now on the ground, his head was lifted and smashed into the floor repeatedly until he lost consciousness.

All the while, Tukson was staring at Onni's extended claws and feral fangs.

"You're a Faunus?" he asked in disbelief, watching Onni retract his more animalistic side. His citrine eyes reverted back to their usual hazel.

"Yeah," Onni said after taking a deep breath. "The Capaneus family's most well-kept secret."

Tukson couldn't believe it. Onni Kaden Capaneus, his teenage bookshop assistant who he'd known for almost two years, was a Faunus. And all this time, Tukson did not catch on.

But first, there was the issue of his former associate to deal with.

"Should I call the cops?" Onni asked, taking out his phone. "Or how do you want to play this out?"

Pan was a dear friend of Tukson's, once upon a time. They watched each other's backs, killed to protect each other's hide. Now though, Pan was threatening to murder an innocent kid, something the Pan Tukson knew would never have done.

"Call their normal number," Tukson chose. "Don't give your name. Ask for Detective Burns."

Onni nodded, eyes narrowed and purposely avoiding Tukson's gaze.

Within the hour, men in suits were moving Pan's body into an unmarked, windowless fan. Tukson exchanged words with a bearded fellow wearing a tie and suspenders. When the visitors left, Tukson went back inside his store. He found Onni leaning by the front desk, hands in pockets. His beanie was off, showing of Onni's triangular wolf ears. Tukson still couldn't get over the fact that Onni got away with this for so long.

"I'm guessing you were with the White Fang," Onni said bluntly.

"I was," Tukson emphasized that it was a former occupation. "I left."

"Why'd you leave?"

"I think you know me well enough to know that I'm no fan of bullying and oppression. The White Fang today is no better than human racists that put down Fauna." He shook his head, thinking back to bad memories. "I had to leave." He motioned to the door. "I think you should, too."

It took a second for Onni to understand what his boss was saying. "You're firing me?"

"You're a Faunus, and I've seen you fight," Tukson said firmly. "The White Fang might still be after me, and I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire."

"I won't be in the crossfire," Onni said with just as much conviction. "I'll be making sure no one takes advantage of your elderly age and killing you in your sleep."

Tukson shook his head. "I don't want you to get involved."

"I can help."

"That doesn't matter. This isn't a game."

"Who said I thought it was?" Onni got off the desk and stood with a straight back. "Mr. Tukson, you taught me a lot of things, and one of those things was to look after you friends."

"This is different," Tukson insisted. "These guys are out of your league."

"I handled that Pan guy pretty well," Onni pointed out. "My parents are getting me a private combat tutor."

"Don't you get it?" Tukson borderline yelled. Why could Onni understand? "This is my problem. You don't deserve getting wrapped into this!"

"I'm a Faunus! Like it or not, whatever the White Fang does shit that affects all of us, and I'm not gonna let them kill one of the only friends I have."

Tukson fell silent, opting to star back into the yellow pupils before him. _Must have rubbed off on him a little too much_.

"You want to fight the White Fang?" Tukson moved swiftly and maneuvered Onni where the kid's face was kissing the ground and his arms were trapped behind him. "How can you fight them when you can't beat me?"

Onni responded by kicking at Tukson's gut. He stumbled back, and both Fauna's sharp claws and teeth made their appearance. They were crouched low, Onni unintentionally growling. Tukson maintained better control of his more savage side. He wanted to get his message across and have it done right.

From what Tukson could recall, Onni had received self-defense lessons from his mother. Onni used to get into quite a few fights until his parents and Tukson stepped in. The kid was undisciplined, but Tukson's influence helped him learn better focus. Now, however, Onni fought sloppily. A punch held too much power to control, a block forming a second too late.

Onni tried; oh hell he tried. He used every dirty trick in the book. The entire store was a mess, torn pages and fallen shelves everywhere by the end of it. The final result was Onni clutching his broken arm and licking the spot where a tooth formerly resided in his mouth. Meanwhile, Tukson stood over him, a bruised eye and a few cuts his only injuries.

"Get out, Onni," Tukson repeated, leaving him in the essentially destroyed store. "Don't come back."

A part of Tukson knew that Onni would be back, no matter how many times he would make him hurt.

"I'll get stronger!" Onni shouted at Tukson's retreating form. "I will come back, and you better survive till then!"

Tukson didn't want to give a response, so he didn't acknowledge the declaration.

X

Hei Xiong, better known as Junior, busied himself with attaching his red tie. His newly trimmed facial hair and dry-cleaned suit reflected back at him through the full-body mirror.

A recent scuffle with a certain blonde had cost him his favorite set of clothes, not to mention a month's worth of earnings that would now be put into medical bills and restoring the club. Three of Junior's lackeys had downright quit after that brawl, but that at least meant less people Junior had to pay.

Today, Junior was meeting with a potential business partner that could tremendously improve both his financial problems and the quality of his hired help. No offense to the Malachite twins, but that massacre from blondie was just embarrassing. If Junior was going to get anywhere in this world, he'd need to up the ante.

It was a small room in a privately owned building. A simple round table sat between Junior and a woman clad in a black suit. Her eyes were so blue that it seemed unnatural, yet the stare she gave wasn't unnerving. There was a calculating and scrutinizing side to it, but it didn't make Junior wary or uneasy. There was respect in her eyes, and that gave Junior some comfort throughout the entire meeting.

While Junior had about a dozen of his henchmen stationed behind him, Miss Eleanor Trapani had a mere two trench coat-wearing bodyguards. You couldn't tell where they were looking because of their sunglasses, but Junior had a feeling they were keeping a close eye on his own men.

"Let's review the final terms of our contract," Trapani said, looking over the document they had been going over. "You will inform us of any significant information that is any way related to our organization, and we will in turn give you any information we come across involving your activities."

Junior nodded, examining the text of his copy. "I'll give you exclusive access to all of the data I come across. Any of your higher-ranking people can view all of the scoops I find, but I'm the one that gets the largest cut if there's money to be made."

"Within reasonable grounds, of course." She flipped a page. "Some of my officers will be training your best men. A few of them will also protect your club, acting as your temporary subordinates until you can afford your own independent protection."

"I'm taking a loan from your consortium, at a ten percent interest rate –"

"Not a loan," Trapani interrupted. "We'll pay for any damages your property has taken, plus the agreed amount we already established. You don't have to pay back for any of the funds we give you."

Junior's desperation at getting a good deal prevented his jaw from dropping.

"Consider it a sign of good faith," she said simply. "I believe we've covered the basics of our agreement. Would you like it if we go through the entirety of the covenant once more or should we wrap this up?"

Junior thought for a moment. "If you think that the final version of our contract is acceptable…"

"Agreed." The two got to their feet and shook hands. "We look forward to be working with you, Mr. Xiong."

The local henchmen shuffled their feet. Trapani's men relaxed, and the tension between the underlings dropped. Their superiors began to pack their papers into their folders.

As Junior stocked his paperwork into his briefcase, his phone began to ring. He checked the caller ID and tightened his grip when he read the name.

"Something wrong?" Trapani asked as she observed his face scrunching up.

"Hopefully not." Junior put the phone to his ear. "Hello… Who…" Junior resisted the urge to swear. "How many… " He looked at the faces of his men. Only half of them had really seen any serious fighting. "Are you sure you can't escape without being followed?" He glanced at Trapani's patient look. "Hold on a second."

"I'm guessing you have people under attack and in need of assistance?" she asked politely.

"You could say that," Junior grumbled. "Think you can have one of your officers help out?"

"Of course. Give me the details."

At another location in the city, Melanie and Miltiades were fighting against an army of several masked men. They weren't the eye-covering attachments the White Fang used, but instead egg shell white masks that covered their entire face. They wore silver, light-weighted armor pieces over fairly thick leather clothes. An assortment of knives and swords were their weaponry. Firearms, even those that were silenced, wouldn't have carried the message their orders specifically wanted them to communicate.

No one broke a deal with the Pullum Dynamos without getting their close associates getting chopped up nice and good.

On the bright side for the girls, they disabled over a dozen aggressors so far. On the down side, their numbers were replaced when enemy reinforcements arrived and pushed the girls into the empty warehouse. Miltiades lost one of her red and black claws and improvised with one of the Dynamo's short swords. Melanie could taste blood in her mouth ever since being given a nasty punch.

The sisters stood back to back, displaying more exhaustion than to their liking. Blade-wielding combatants slowly banded together to surround the two. A few held back as they observed from upper platforms.

"What did Junior say?" Miltiades asked without taking her eyes off their attackers.

"He said our new partners would be sending someone to help us," Melanie replied.

All of a sudden, there was an explosion, engulfing at least five or six Dynamos in fire. The wall where the burst of light originated broke apart and buried the bodies under the rubble.

Miltiades grabbed her sister's wrist and pulled her through the flames and outside. They ran across a parking lot, lampposts illuminating their way. Dynamos were hot on their tail. However, a barrage of bullets shot a number of them down. The speeding projectiles soon covered almost the entire expanse of the plot of concrete. The Malachite pair ducked behind a car, covering their heads.

Eventually, the gunshots ceased. Melanie raised her head. She did spot someone standing at the edge of a rooftop. The shadowy outline dropped something that fell to the ground, an object that might have been a chaingun. The stranger plopped down afterward and threw a grenade over the girls' heads and to a crowd of enemies. He then approached the twins drawing out a long-barreled assault rifle and firing after the explosion sounded out.

He had on a black duster coat, a good sign at least. Oddly enough, he was wearing sunglasses in the middle of the night, but that didn't seem to hinder his ability to target foes and score kills. He also wore a purple shirt and brown jeans with a short, spiky haircut.

"Melanie and Miltiades?" he asked as he crouched and continued firing.

"Yeah," Melanie answered. She looked over the hood of the car and watched even more Dynamos get gunned down. "Did Junior send you?"

"Indirectly. My mentor sent me with orders to get you two to safety." He stopped to holster his rifle after it clicked and stopped releasing bullets. "I'm Leon, by the way."

At this point, Miltiades found herself staring the new arrival.

"How do you plan on getting us out of here?" Melanie questioned.

Leon tossed each of the sisters a small handgun. "Keep those ready. I'll clear out enemy forces. Stay low."

Another group of Dynamos exited the warehouse. About nine had seemed to have survived. Their feet pounded the ground as they ran toward the killer of their comrades. Leon responded to them by drawing out two weapons from his belt: a set of dark tonfas.

One Dynamo brought his blade down to Leon's head. He blocked by forming an X shape with his weapons before hitting his opponent's throat. A second and third waved their blades aimed for Leon's sides. Leon simply disarmed them. They attempted to take him down with their fists, but they were promptly knocked out.

He engaged another batch of Dynamos, but two ran in the direction of the twins. Melanie saw them and fired. The recoil was more powerful than she expected, but she did hit one of them in the gut. The other, however, swerved out of the way of her potshots and closed in. He battered her pistol out of her hand. Melanie kicked upward to block his follow up attack. The Dynamo then fell back, a bullet lodging itself within his cranium, let off by Miltiades.

Another body landed in front of them, his mask broken into shards and one of them jabbed into his cheek. Leon walked around, casually picking up Melanie's pistol and firing into the fidgeting mobster. Miltiades flinched, tightening her grip on her own gun.

Leon holstered his gun and took the other he gave to Miltiades. He took a quick look around the parking lot and nodded to himself. "Area's been cleared. We should go." The girls tried to get to their feet, but Miltiades stumbled and would have fallen over if Melanie hadn't caught her.

"My sister's hurt," Melanie gritted out. "How are we going to get out of here?"

Leon stared at the more wounded twin for a moment. Without warning, he stabbed her neck with a syringe. She yelped as Melanie kicked him back in the stomach.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"Painkiller," Leon said, sounding confused. "Short term remedy. Hopefully numbs the pain enough for her to walk."

"I'm carrying her," Melanie grunted hotly. "Do you have a car, or something with speed?"

"Yeah." Using a tonfa, Leon smashed the side of the nearby car's window. Its alarm went off, but he entered and disabled it with ease. In moments the engine sputtered and roared, and Leon motioned for the girls to get in. "Let's go."

Melanie placed her sister in the back seat and sat be her side. Leon drove the car out onto an empty street. At the sound of police sirens, he drove through an alley and hid for a few seconds. When the sirens' ringing lessened, they were on the road again.

"We're going to your club," Leon said as they got onto a more populous street plagued with traffic.

"You left that minigun back there," Melanie pointed out. "Why did you leave evidence behind?"

"That wasn't my property. The authorities will think it was another gang war between two gangs." A red stoplight halted their progress. Leon looked at the rearview mirror and found Miltiades looking back at him through the glass. He found himself staring back.

"So is your organization on our side now?" Melanie asked.

"I guess so. That's what my mentor told me."

When they reached the club, all three left the car. Melanie supported Miltiades up despite the protest as Leon watched impassively. His neutrality didn't last long. After he pulled out a stick of gum and began to chew, carried Miltiades bridal style. She shrieked while her sister glared at him.

"What are you doing?" Melanie snapped indignantly. "Why are you carrying my sister?"

"No need to add more strain to her body," he answered with nonchalance, paying no mind to the flustered face avoiding his eyes and the enraged expression aimed just for him.

Junior was waiting for them from behind the bar. Reconstruction efforts were still going on around the club. The workers got out of the arrivals' way, clearing a few materials off their path.

"You girls alright?" Junior asked as Miltiades was set down on a bar stool. "Relatively speaking?"

"For the most part, yeah," Melanie said, taking her own seat and waved for a drink.

"Thanks for your help, eh –"

"Leon."

"Yeah, thanks for getting my girls out of that mess." He turned back to Melanie. "So the Dynamos weren't willing to renegotiate?"

"Definitely not." She took a large swig from the cup she was given. "The Corsairs played things less violently, I'm assuming?"

"Obviously." Junior stretched a hand over and shook with Leon. "Really, thanks for backing them up. They've been getting to lax with their training."

Melanie sucked in a quick breathe of air, scowling at Junior but not claiming any different.

"My orders are to reside in your club and follow your commands, Junior," Leon said, keeping a straight back and his hands folded behind. "My mentor told me that he and a few other officers will inspect your people and see who is acceptable for training."

"Good." Junior took a closer look at his highest ranked subordinates. "You girls should get yourselves checked out with the doctor."

"We're fine," Melanie blurted out, ending up accidentally spitting blood onto the table.

"Hey, Martin!" Junior yelled to one of his men at the end of the bar. "Go prepare the infirmary. Get some crutches for Miltia, too."

"Wait," Miltiades interrupted. Junior could see the red in her face as she looked at the young Corsair who was checking his watch. "Leon can help me over there."

Junior shrugged, but he did smile in amusement at how Melanie fumed when Leon carried her sister in the same manner as he did before.

From what Trapani told Junior, Leon was a child prodigy in what he does, as was the kid's mentor. If that were true, the rumors and reputation the Eclipse Corsairs were well-earned. It wasn't every day that someone could defeat thirty Silverback Dynamos in one night.

This was the start of a perfect partnership. Junior had a good feeling about it.

X

_Stay quiet, senses alert, weapons ready…_

Jaune Arc continued chanting his mantra as he put a hesitant foot ahead of the other. His arms felt sore from holding up his sword and shield, but his trainer could pop out from anywhere. The trainer didn't have any camouflage on, but the forestry and foliage was quite dense. If Jaune wasn't paying close enough attention, then his predator could whip around from a tree trunk and quickly put the Arc down.

On the plus side, this section of the forest did not suffer from any of the effects of the periodic storms that occurred the past month. No mud was there to stain his favorite jeans or get into his mouth. Now that he thought about, maybe he shouldn't have brought his favorite pair of pants on this training exercise.

The Arc, the grumbling of his stomach reaching a too high of a volume, sat down on a tree stump. He opened his backpack and took out a loaf of bread. It was flattened out considerably, but it was the only viable way to saturate his hunger. He couldn't exactly go out and hunt that deer he spotted two kilometers back.

_Senses alert_, Jaune repeated in his head. As he ate, he kept glancing around his surroundings. He tried to do it inconspicuously, but he had a feeling he wasn't doing it as well as he could have been.

_Wonder where Meg is_, he thought, chewing cravingly.

The rustling of leaves caught his attention. Jaune looked to his left, and he could see a crimson shield rushing toward him. It had a rectangular shape and a simplistic design compared to Crocea Mors.

Jaune hurriedly grabbed his shield, and the two crashed into each other. He bit his tongue, his head getting smacked against his own defensive apparatus. It became a test of will and strength, pushing against one another until a shadow went over him. In that split-second, Jaune shoved his aggressor back and blocked the sword with his own.

It was a shorter blade that could have been mistaken to be a machete, but the material and weight to it was different. The rest of the hunter's equipment consisted of separate red armored plates. They were more slender than Jaune's armaments, but they were greater in number and covered more of his body. Black markings were painted across the plating. The helmet covered his entire head. It resembled a slim dome with a spherical topside. A black tinted visor hid his eyes.

"How long was I trailing you?" he asked, his voice gravelly calm.

Jaune struggled to recall when he first felt that something suspicious was going about. "Ugh, three hours?"

"Three hours, what?"

"Three hours, Sergeant Jace!"

"Three and half, actually, but good enough."

He dashed forward, charging Jaune. Jace arched his blade over and hit Jaune's shield. Before he could bring his broadsword around, Jace forced him backwards, his feet stumbling and nearly losing balance. Jaune's lower leg was given a kick, forcing him to his knees. He froze completely when Jace's blade touched his neck, drawing a slither of blood.

"You're dead." Jace head butted his student, the boy letting go of his weapons to his forehead. Jaune howled in pain. "Lasted slightly longer, though. Nice job."

Dark blue eyes widened. Ignoring the pain, Jaune gratefully said, "Thank you, sir."

"Don't let it get to your head," Jace said in a tone that was his version of telling a joke. Jaune chuckled lightly at the attempt of humor. He laughed also because it might have distracted Jace from the claymore longsword sweeping toward the side of his head.

Of course, the diversion was ineffective on the battle-hardened veteran. He probably heard the air being cut as he ducked under the blade. Jace blocked the next swing, the next thrust, and grabbed the sword with his gloved hand. He pulled, getting his assailant close enough for a head butt and haymaker. She learned her lesson and pulled back.

Megan Arc smirked at Jace through her Y-shaped visor. She wore similar jeans and armor as Jaune did, but her shoulder and chest plates were colored dark green. Underneath was a black t-shirt. The emerald barbute helmeted girl wore fingerless gloves and brown boots. Her longsword, Crepitus, had a teal blade, black grip, and a silver guard.

"Oh, Jauny boy," she playfully spoke. "We were doing so well, too."

Jaune's chuckling sounded more embarrassed. "Yeah, well, y'know… gotta eat."

"I understand. No need to defend yourself." Jace charged on, unimpeded by the small cuts in his hand. "Rest up, dear brother."

Metal making contact with metal made a ringing noise. Megan lost her smirk when her blade was smashed onto her temple. Thankfully, her helmet didn't let it draw blood. However, she was disoriented enough to allow her legs to be swept from under her.

Her position in the dirt didn't give her any leverage to block Jace's kicks. She raised her sword, but her wrist was stomped down. Her hand released the grip. The shield was pressured down over Megan's upper body. Jace plunged the tip of his sword down over her exposed face.

For a moment, she almost screeched in panic, but she held her breath. Her compensation for not losing her composure was a shallow cut along her nose.

"You're dead," Jace said. As she sighed, he helped her up. Jaune had been fiddling with the innards of his backpack and tossed her a roll of bandages. She sat next to her brother, taking off her helmet and revealing the entire head of a pony-tailed blonde.

"At least I beat my record," she observed tiredly. Jaune gave a reassuring smile and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"As did you your brother," Jace stated. She cheered and patted Jaune's back. "You both did well this session. Good job."

"Thanks Uncle Jace," Megan smiled. Jaune was more formal in his show of appreciation of the compliment.

Jace also sat down with his legs crossed. He turned over his own backpack and took out some packed fruit. He passed them around; apples, Megan's favorite. Jace didn't partake in the feast, leaving his helmet on.

"Not hungry?"

"It's been a year since we've started training together," Jace said, ignoring the question.

Jaune almost choked, having to spit out the piece of apple he was chewing. "A year? Really?"

Megan looked at their uncle with distrust. "Are you sure about that, Uncle Jace? Neither of us are able to beat you in even an unfair fight."

"This year wasn't about beating me," Jace placated his youthful kin. "It was about training the body, learning basic skills that you needed to know for the actual combat training. Tell me, what have you two learned thus far?"

The siblings exchanged a glance with each other, both frowning.

"Well," Jaune began cautiously, "I know how to keep a better eye on the things around me and how to be stealthy with all of my equipment. I need to work on my execution, but I know the procedures."

"I've learned to control my," Megan sighed. She continued with no energy. "I've learned to control my excitement during combat operations." She was basically reciting one of the many lessons Jace had been literally pounding into them.

"Self-control," Jace pointed to Megan. Then he shifted to Jaune. "Self-confidence. This year wasn't a wasteful effort."

"Confidence?" Jaune snorted. "Please, I'm the epitome of debonairness." Megan crossed her arms and just shook her head.

Jace snapped his fingers. "I rest my case." He got to his feet, leaving his backpack on the ground. "Eat up. Report back to base by two-o-clock. We'll be starting the serious stuff." With that farewell, Jace left.

Once their Hunter teacher was out of sight, the junior Arcs pretty much tackled the bag and feasted upon whatever delicious food was stored in it. The main course included some venison that had the Arc charm that made it divine.

"So, Jauny boy," Megan sloppily said with her mouth full, "what do you think of _finally_ learning some real fighting techniques?"

Jaune shrugged his shoulders, his mouth also full. "It's might be a lot harder than just trying to live off the land and not get caught in the woods. I don't know, Meg. Knowing Sergeant Jace, it won't be easy. That's for sure."

"Why do you call Uncle Jace by his rank? He lets me get away with calling him uncle."

"Yeah, well, here's the difference between you and me, Meg: I'm the charismatic ladies man who can just barely kill a rabbit after seven hours of trailing it. You're… amazing."

His sister gave a hefty laugh. "True, I am amazing, but don't cut yourself so short, Jauny boy. With a little time and effort, the whole of Remnant will learn to fear the Arc twins as the greatest hunter slash huntress duo who ever lived!"

Jaune returned the laugh. He raised a water bottle to the sky. "To becoming getting through Jace's training and becoming a Hunter!"

Megan joined the toast. "To becoming the best of the best, the best there is."

They knocked plastic together and gulped as much water as they could.


	2. A Beacon on the Horizon

Megan sat back in her seat. The airship; destination: Beacon Academy; had just lifted itself off the ground. She fiddled with her Scroll, playing a game to pass the time, headphones on her ears. Strangers talked amongst themselves around her. In the corner of her eye, she could see two girls making a commotion as one hugged the other. A news channel was on display on one of the windows.

"Hey Meg," her brother greeted as he took steady steps toward her. He sat down next to her, tense.

"Jauny boy," she returned without looking up. "Did you take those pills?"

"Yup," he said. Despite this, he wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Do you have your barf bag?" she went on. He raised it into the air.

"Yeah." Jaune set it down and raised another bag colored white. "I also got your donuts."

Her blue eyes shone brighter than ever. "Awesome!" Megan swiped the bag off of his bag and immediately retrieved a donut and consumed half of it in one bite. "Thank you, brother," she said while chewing.

"No problem, sis," Jaune replied. He turned his head to look out the window. "Hey, we're getting a better view of the skyline." He got off his seat and enjoyed the sight.

"You're still staggering, Jaune. Be wary." Her brother just waved her off, too entranced by the beautiful scenery.

On the other end of the room, a flight attendant approached an individual hiding under his hood.

"Excuse me, sir."

"Yeah?"

"Please, no smoking. I'm going to have to confiscate any cigarettes you have. You can keep the lighter, though."

Sighing, Stane handed the attendant the requested items. As she walked away, he retrieved a bottle of water from the innards of his cloak. Taking a swig, he leaned back in his seat, ignoring the students glancing at him.

_Should have taken it out on the deck, damn it._

He was disappointed. It was supposed to be his main source of entertainment during the ride. By his count, the airship should reach Beacon in an hour. An hour of boredom, waiting it out with a number of strangers who, for the most part, looked like they've been living in Vale all their lives. Stane hadn't even resided in a kingdom longer than a week ever since his... career change. The two day road trip to even get to Vale didn't encourage him to sit down and be quiet either. He needed some activity, some stimuli.

Most of his fellow passengers had moved away from Stane when the stench of smoke reached their noses. One had remained behind, seemingly too engrossed in his book to be bothered by a measly unattractive smell. He also happened to have a certain wad of bubbly joy sticking out of his pocket.

"Hey man," Stane pulled back his hood. "I'm Stane." And he needed something to entertain himself to pass the time.

The tan-skinned boy slowly turned his head to give Stane a perfect view of the lens of his shades. "I'm Leon." Then he went back to his book, moving just as slowly as before.

Stane was undeterred by the ostensibly cold reaction. "Mind sharing some of that gum you've got there?"

The stranger took for moments to reply. "Yes."

"Yes that you have a problem with sharing your gum or yes that you'll give me a piece?"

"… I don't want to give you any of my gum."

Stane stared at the rigidly moving stranger. "Dare I ask you why?"

"I don't know you." Leon no longer turned his head to look at Stane. He kept his eyes on his book. Stane could see the quirk in his lips, the movement in his brows that were tell-tale signs of annoyance.

"Well, we know each other's names, we can tolerate the stench of cigarettes, we both have a preference toward clothing that reaches down to our ankles." Stane motioned toward his cloak and Leon's dark coat. "We obviously crave chewing gum. I'd say that we've gotten to know each other fairly well."

"I don't like sharing."

"Sharing is caring, my friend."

"I don't care, and you're not my friend."

"Well, we might as well do something about that then." Stane offered up his hand with benevolent smile. "My name's Stane Sloane, hotshot game hunter and free-running extraordinaire." Stane's pale face sometimes put people off, felt as if the smile was a little creepy. Thus, the hood, but he still liked to try.

Leon wasn't facing Stane, but his eyes were definitely looking at him, and the hand.

He closed the book, setting it on his lap. A small hand clutched its bigger counterpart and gave a strong shake. "I'm Leon… Batson. Leon Batson, a… jack of all trades." When Leon pulled back his hand, Stane's smile brightened.

"Nice to meet you, Leon Batson. Thanks." Stane ripped off the plastic and threw in the slot of gum into his mouth. He leaned forward and set his elbows on his knees, pointing a gun-shaped hand to the gray, title-less book. "What's that about, anyway?"

"Um… hunting."

"Hunting what?"

"Animals."

"Like deer? Grimm? Both?"

"… of all trades." Leon shrugged. He was looking to the floor now, not to his new-found friend.

"I could give you some tips. Like I said, hotshot game hunter right here."

The book was quickly hidden under the duster. Leon buttoned up his jacket to conceal his purple shirt and anything else underneath. He hugged his stomach, also leaning forward. "It's a private novel, fictional."

Stane patted Leon's shoulder, surprising the younger boy. "Hey, we just met. No need to reveal all of your deep, dark secrets in one sitting. Your last name is good enough for me." A pink bubble formed in front of Stane's face before dissipating back into its malleable, strung up form and pulled back into his mouth.

Leon remained silent.

"You're not one for conversation, are you?"

Another simple shrug.

Near the central area of the room, a hologram appeared, taking the image of famed Huntress Glynda Goodwitch. Leon turned his gaze to her following speech while Stane really only half-listened. He could see her smiling, but it was clearly an emotion being faked.

"Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future Huntsman and Huntresses…"

Stane snorted, but no one except Leon paid him any mind.

"What was that?" Leon whispered, as if afraid to speak over Goodwitch.

_An incredible time of peace my ass. Faunus Civil Rights protests and the White Fang translate to peace? _"It's nothing, man," Stane whispered back.

"Did something amuse you?"

"Just forget it. Deep dark secrets, just meeting, and all that nonsense."

Someone gurgled and burped nearby, catching many of the airship's occupants' attention.

Jaune never felt the need to both upchuck and release excrement at the same time at any point in his life before. What brought about this unforeseen event? He blamed the pills. Meg may have insisted that they were legit, but Sergeant Jace had an evil twinkle in his eye during the transaction.

The natural blond had to get to a restroom before it was too late. The barf bag wouldn't be enough.

Unfortunately, the uncomforting swirling in his bowels was too much for him to convey anything coherent to his sister.

Megan chased after her brother. "Jauny boy! Where are you going?" Half of a donut was sticking out of her mouth, a hand outstretched with the barf bag. "If you need to do your business, then take this!"

_It's more than just that kind of business. Meg!_ Jaune wanted to tell her, but the snippets of vomit were already seeping up his throat, onto his tongue. He couldn't stop some from escaping his mouth entirely, landing on an unsuspecting passenger's shoe.

"Darn it, Jaune, why don't you just take the bag!"

As the siblings went through a doorway, Yang Xiao Long soon followed. The paper towels in the lavatory were her only viable option of successfully getting rid of that awful puke on her shoes. Meanwhile, Ruby Rose had retreated away from her sister, extremely put off by the icky substance.

X

Once the airship landed and passengers began to walk out, Onni strolled on slowly. Much of the crowd was hurrying away from the local "vomit boy" as he dashed for a trash can. Onni also kept his distance. That one girl got her shoes all dirtied up, and he didn't want to risk his own new pair of getting damaged. His mother would kill him.

Speaking of which, she was calling his phone. Onni made his way to a light post to the side of the main walkway and leaned back.

"Hello?"

"Hey Onni. Did you get to Beacon safely?"

"Yes ma'am."

"All of your luggage intact?"

"Yup. Talked with management and made sure they had things under control. Anything like that incident last year won't be happening again."

"Oh, I never really blamed airport security for their terrible workmanship. I just wanted you occupied so that you wouldn't go out of your way to find that Schnee heiress."

A smile and a sigh began to take shape out of Onni. "Weiss isn't that bad, mom."

"Maybe, but her father is another story, and I don't trust you and her cavorting together. She doesn't know your secret."

"I know, but –"

"Onni, keep your distance from her. Find another girl that isn't as much of a bitch."

"Mom!"

"I'm sorry, son, but that's what she is." Noise in the background. "Gotta go, Onni. Dad says hi. Bye."

Onni held the cellular device to his ear for a little longer before putting it away. He knew how difficult Weiss could be, but he didn't want to give up on her. Tukson did not give up on him for a reason. Well, before that other incident where Onni was fired.

That old bastard is still kicking, last Onni checked. One day very soon, Onni would show him just how far he's improved.

His thoughts dispelled at the sound of an explosion.

_Oh, Weiss! Looks like she made a new friend!_

"Ugh? You complete dolt!"

_Well, at least she's getting the insults out of the way._

Onni decided to hang back, leaning on the pole and observing the commotion. He watched the verbal battle with a grin.

Finally, Weiss huffed and walked away. Onni quickly caught up to her. She was giving low mutterings of anger. "Nice to see you again, Ms. Schnee," he said as he wrapped his arm around hers.

She was startled, but then she sighed. In a tired voice, she said, "First that girl with the hood and now you. It is just not my day, is it?"

With his other arm, Onni ruffled her hair. "You know you love me, Weiss."

In response, she punched his gut. "Ow!" He recoiled, rubbing his side. "What's with the hostility?"

Weiss increased her speed as she continued ahead. "I am _not_ in the mood for you."

Onni chuckled.

_Don't care what you say, mom. I ain't giving up. This year definitely won't go to waste._

X

_This is going to be such a terrible year_, Ruby thought as she sunk to her knees. First Yang, then Weiss, and now that bow – wearing girl. She allowed herself to drop to her back, murmuring, "Welcome to Beacon…"

A shadow soon went over her fallen form. She opened her eyes and saw a hand outstretched to her. "Hey… I'm Jaune."

Still downcast, Ruby accepted the hand and introduced herself. Afterward, she asked, "Aren't you that guy who threw up on the ship?"

Jaune sighed. "Motion sickness can even defeat even the best of us, you know?"

Ruby let out a nervous laugh. "Sorry. Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind."

He crossed his arms. "Oh, yeah? What if I called you Crater Face?"

"Hey, that explosion was an accident!"

By this point, the two were making their way to the main building.

"Well, the name's Jaune Arc; short, sweet, rolls of the tongue, ladies love it." Ruby smiled with amusement.

Apparently, someone shared her sentiments when a person started laughing from behind them. When they turned around, Jaune covered his face and shook his head. Megan was on the ground laughing as hard as her lungs could allow, clutching her stomach.

"Oh, dang it Meg. Do you have to do this _every _time?"

She managed to calm down and got to her feet, wiping some dust off. Ruby was still looking on, her smile replaced with a frown of confusion. Megan simply grinned and gave the girl a firm handshake. "Hi, I'm Jauny boy's sister, Megan Arc; straightforward, sexy, easy to remember, the ladies love it!"

Ruby raised an eyebrow, her mouth slightly open. When they released clasped hands, hers remained suspended in the air. Megan retained her affable smile, and Jaune just stood there, embarrassed, trying to pretend no one was staring at them.

After about a millennium of awkwardness, Ruby said, "So… I got this thing," taking out Crescent Rose. Jaune flinched back, and Megan's eyes widened with envy.

"Whoa!" the male Arc yelped. "Is-is that a scythe?"

The petite girl nodded. "It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle. I made it myself." One could hear a subtle but definite pride in her tone.

"That's… actually pretty cool. Well, much more unique than my sword here." He drew out his blade for Ruby's viewing pleasure. "And this shield, too," he continued.

"Oh, um, those still look great. I'm kinda a dork when it comes to weapons. Where'd you get yours?"

"It's a hand-me-down. My great grandfather used it to fight in the war. An old classic, as I like to call it. Meg here uses a single longsword. A blacksmith we know forged it especially… for… her…"

Megan was awestruck; she was literally drooling at Ruby's weapon. _Oh, just think of the damage that can do! It's so perfect! Close range and long range, the scope could use a little work, but my god, it's such a masterpiece!_

"Is your sister always weird like this?"

"… Pretty much, I suppose."

X

"Want some gum?" Onni offered a Weiss a wad of the snack. They were waiting for the Professor Ozpin to give the formal introduction. "It's grape flavored ~"

"No thanks. How's your family?"

"Meh, Dad's still enforcing the drill: be strong, be ruthless, and be perfect. My Mom hasn't changed. You?"

"_I'm_ upholding the creed with pride, unlike you," she Weiss out. The heir to Capaneus Industries was much more lax than many of their compatriots.

Snickering met her ears. "Yeah, follow the creed, act like a prick, be an asshole to everyone that is less fortunate than you. I'll sure as hell be successful by following those tenants."

Weiss had gotten used to Onni's arrogance but rubbed her head in disappointment nonetheless. "There's a reason I turned down your marriage proposal, you know that, right?"

"And there's a reason you still snuck out of that trading rights meeting with me, right?"

Onni had to work harder these days to get her to fluster, and he was happy that he succeeded today. However, their attention was redirected to the ramblings of Little Red Sneezing Hood.

He still had to tell himself every now and then how Weiss can be very aggressive and scary. For the most part, her anger held no extended ill effect on Onni, but Ruby's reaction was a pleasant reminder.

Suddenly, the entire room grew quiet as Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch appeared at the stage. He spoke with calm but strong voice, making every word count.

"I'll keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge - to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." With that, he walked away from the microphone.

Various audience members had a few different reactions to the speech.

_Wasted energy,_ Stane internally snorted. _Where have I heard that before?_

_I'm already pretty sure I've got a clear purpose in my life. I just want those "new skills", _asserted Onni.

_Knowledge. Knowledge is power. What more is there?_ Leon mused.

_Ozpin seems neat,_ Megan decided. _Uncle Jace said he was a trustworthy guy, but he's softer than for his own good. I just hope this school doesn't have an overabundance of hardasses._

Goodwitch walked up to the microphone and said, "You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins." She scanned the crowd, her gaze sharpening. "Be ready. You are dismissed."

Before Onni could walk over and introduce himself to the girls Weiss had joined, a considerable amount of weight began to press down on him. He leaned forward but did not fall over. A pair of legs wrapped around his waist, two arms around his neck, and a cheek snuggled against his face.

"Awesome Onni!" the peppy voice shrieked with joy. "Awesome Onni! Awesome Onni! Awesome Onni! Awesome Onni!"

"Nora!" The pressure disappeared from Onni's back. "Sorry about that, Onni."

The Capaneus heir laughed and clapped his hands, turning to two of his old friends. "Ren! Nora!" Onni waved discreetly to Nora, and they trapped Ren into a three-way hug. "Haven't seen you two love birds in a while."

Nora hiccupped and disengaged herself from the hug, Onni soon backing up as well. "No, no, no no, no, Awesome Onni. Ren and I aren't 'together' together. It isn't like that. I mean, Ren is all nice and handsome, but, ugh, love birds and all that are just –"

"Breathe, Nora!" Onni tried to calm her down. She took a very deep gust of air while he fist-bumped with Ren. "Still a handful I take it?"

Ren shrugged, a light grin on his face. "You still have your own exuberant friend to deal with, too," he said flatly, nodding toward a certain white-haired teenager currently trying to get past a blond girl to get to a shorter girl who had a red tint to her black hair.

"I can make this work," Onni said confidently, hitting an index finger on the green fabric Ren wore. "By the time we graduate, we'll be on our honeymoon."

"Of course you will!" Nora jumped, popping up around them at random. "And if anyone gets in the way, we'll dislocate their shoulders!"

"No offense, Onni," Ren began, crossing his arms, "but you aren't exactly her… 'type,' per say."

"Things change," was the firm reply. "I was a punk kid not too long ago. You and Nora were lonely little kids until you two met. Weiss and I have a chance."

"If you say so. I just don't want to see anyone getting hurt. That goes to you too, Nora."

The ginger pouted. "That's no fun, Ren. You agree with me Awesome Onni, right? Down with all those who stand in our path!" She raised her palm, and the clap of a high-five sounded out.

"All is fair in love and war," Onni joyfully quoted. "Ain't that right, Nora?"

"Of course!" Onni placed a hand at her hip, Nora grasped his shoulder. "Team Smash-Bash-Dash, united once again! Together and forever!" They lifted their free fists high into the sky overdramatically.

Ren just shook his head at their antics.

X

Stane was leaning on the wall of the ballroom, dressed in a pair of boxers, a tank top, and his beloved cloak. Several of his fellow potential Hunters were either already in bed or conversing with each other. Since Stane wasn't in the mood to make any more new friends, he settled for sizing up his peers.

As he scanned the crowd, however, he spotted someone who he hadn't expected to see. Someone he hadn't seen in a long time. She was reading a book in one corner of the room.

He plopped down next to her as if it was a casual action. She glanced at him, and her stare met his.

"Been a while, Miss Mellowdona," he greeted.

Blake was frowning. "Why are you here?"

"Could ask you that, too."

"I left to do something about the corruption in this world," she narrowed her eyes with suspicion. "You left because you gave up on everything. You became another 'soldier of fortune.' Why are you here?"

Stane gave her a condescending smirk. "What, I can't take a break from condottiere work and try out hunting?"

"Not without a good reason." Blake discreetly put a hand on her personal weapon. "You stopped wanting to be a hero. Don't make me repeat myself."

The naginata wielder did not look bothered by the hostile movement. "You still have that knife?"

"…Yes."

Out of the cloak came a book in Stane's hand. The cover had a recognizable signature penciled in.

Blake made sure she did not gasp. "Is that –"

"Yeah. Part of the reason I left was to find it. Apparently, my aunt had some more insight and wisdom to share." He placed the book onto the floor between the former White Fang members. "I've gotten what I needed from it. You keep it. I'm sure you'll get your answers."

The yellow-eye Faunus looked to the book, then back to Stane. Slowly, she pulled her hand away from Gambol Shroud. Blake's gaze weakened, as did Stane's. For a moment, they sat in a dispirited silence.

The redhead broke the silence first. "I'm sorry. For, y'know, all that shit I –"

"Stane," Blake interrupted tiredly, closing her eyes, "please don't. We've gone back and forward so many times. I came here for a fresh start." She went back to her book, her eyelids only half-open. "If I knew anything about your aunt, she'd have wanted the both of us to move on, move forward. So save it."

Not quite surprising to her, Stane laughed. "I miss her, too."

"Hel-looooo ~" They shifted their heads and saw a long-haired blond dragging a shorter girl and waving toward them.

Stane nudged Blake. "Isn't that the girl who pissed off Schnee?"

"I think so."

The blond cheerfully said, "I believe you two may know each other!"

The shorter girl was looking away when Blake asked, "Aren't you that girl who exploded?"

"Ugh, yeah! Um, my name's Ruby." She offered her hand, but Blake was already back into her reading.

Stane sighed as he shook her hand. "This is Blake. She doesn't talk much. I'm Stane." He could see that Ruby was a little jittery and nervous.

As she pulled back, the girl next to her said, "Well, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister!" This one was much more jolly and confident than her younger sibling. "I like your bow," she went on, referring to the piece of fabric on Blake's head.

"Thanks." Blake was starting sound a little annoyed.

"It goes great with your… pajamas!"

"Right…" Blake trailed off.

Stane was beginning to drift off into unconsciousness, losing interest in the conversation, when Ruby said, "I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters… They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!"

"And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?"

"I'm hoping we all will. As a little girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves."

Their attention was brought to chuckling. Stane opened his eyes to meet three bemused looks directed at him. "Saving the world, huh? That's your goal?"

Ruby smiled brightly. "Not save, really, but to make it a better place. That's why we're here, right?"

"Oh, I'm so proud of my baby sister!" A fight soon ensued between Yang and Ruby.

While Blake looked on with a raised eyebrow, Stane was feeling nostalgic. _That was me, five, six years ago. Damn, my priorities really have changed. _The Schnee girl came over, woken up by the commotion.

_Auntie would have torn me a new one for doing some of the things I've been doing. Definitely not stuff she'd approve of me doing._

Stane observed how Blake was now reading the diary.

_She'd be prouder of Blake a lot more than she would her own blood, that's for sure. _


	3. Initiation

"This is ridiculous! There's no way I put my gear in locker 636 yesterday! I would've remembered having to count that high! Oh, why does this have to happen today?"

The resonating echo of a slap traveled across the locker room.

"Ow! Dang it, Meg!"

"Just calm down. We have plenty of time to find your locker. Besides, it's just miscellaneous crap, right?" Megan pointed to his armor and sheathed sword. "You have mostly everything you need if we come across any Grimm."

Jaune sighed. "You're right, Meg, sorry. Just a little stressed is all. No matter what Jace says, I still only barely passed the minimum requirements to be eligible for this school. I don't even know if it's worth the effort. Maybe I ought to quit while I'm ahead."

He received a flick to his forehead. "Jaune, stop moaning and groaning. You don't have that many career options, so just apply what skills you already have when needed. Those two years weren't for nothing. Besides, I'll be there to help you."

He sighed again. "That's another thing. Dad's always saying that I should be the one giving advice, giving the helping hand. It's not that I don't appreciate it, but I'm just not one to take charge."

"You're forgetting something, Jaune: Dad's a prick. Remember Jace? You know, that guy who dedicated a ton of time and effort and shaping the both of us up for real hunting?"

Jaune soon found himself smiling. "Yeah. Dad's not in charge anymore. We are."

"Exactly!" Megan wrapped her arm around her brother's shoulders. "We promised each other, Jaune. You'll become a badass hunter and I'll become the badass fighter. We don't know the meaning of 'quitting,' am I right?"

"Of course you're right, Meg. It's a brand new day and – oh, here's my locker!"

Once Jaune felt he was properly equipped, the siblings began their walk to Beacon Cliffs. However, Jaune paused when he noticed Weiss giving an inner monologue out loud. At Megan's nudging, he proceeded to flirt with Ms. Schnee.

Megan saw Ruby nearby and walked up to her. "That's my brother right there, a classic lady killer."

Ruby giggled and motioned toward another person. "Megan, this is Yang, my sister. Yang, this is Megan Arc."

Yang smirked and nodded in Megan's direction. "I just gotta ask; how do you deal with Vomit Boy over there."

Megan shrugged. "He needs more confidence in himself, so I encourage his romantic endeavors. And by the way, calling him Vomit Boy would really be counterproductive, so please don't call him that."

"Sure. Just know that if he comes on to my little sister, he better know what's coming to him."

"Yang!" Ruby yelped with a blushing.

"Don't worry, Ruby," Megan reassured. "I'm sure a guy out there will be ready to sweep you off your feet, but Jauny boy prefers girls a bit older and more mature."

The sound of metal piercing metal was heard, and the three girls looked up to see Jaune stuck to the wall with a spear going through his shirt. While two of the observers were amused, Megan looked disappointed.

As a girl with a red-haired apologized and took back her spear, Meg pulled her brother back up. Yang asked, "Having some trouble there, lady-killer?"

"I don't understand. Dad said all women look for confidence. Where did I go wrong?"

Megan snorted.

"Right, dad's a prick. Well, Jace actually agreed with him on that."

Megan, once again, tried to comfort him. "Not every girl is into someone being so forward with them. Just remember, show a little respect every now and then. If you get in too close, you're only a step away from a kick to the balls."

"Don't remind me," Jaune muttered bitterly.

X

"Yo, Leon!" Stane waved as he walked onto his designated metal platform at the top of Beacon Cliffs. "Remember me?"

Leon was chewing another slither of gum, looking to Emerald Forest with a bored expression. Other prospective students were having small conversations while waiting for an overseer to start their initiation. Leon was content with keeping to himself, but the hooded boy wanted to bring conflict to that goal.

"It's Stane." He gave a hard pat on Leon's back that nearly toppled him over. "Have a good night's sleep?"

"…Sure."

"Wanna share some more of that gum?"

Leon had to admit that Stane had a disarming smile.

"That is if you've got some more to spare, of course."

After the pop of a bubble, Stane received another joyous edible snack to smother around his mouth. "Thanks, bud."

"You're welcome." Leon wanted to resume the mindless nibbling on his own gum, but Stane was apparently not willing to allow him to do as he pleased.

"So, you know anything about how we're supposed to form teams?"

"How should I know?" A small handgun was drawn from Leon's holster. He double-checked the safety and a thousand other types of mundane prep work he went over when he woke up. Maybe Stane would see that he was busy and cease to speak with –

"I don't know. Bunch of rumors running around. Thought you might have heard something yourself." Another pop resounded. "Hey, nice gun. What's it called?"

"It's a… custom one." The pistol held the basic design of any old modern piece a cop would use, but the magazine was longer than usual and had a small scope attached. There was green tint to the entire weapon.

"Yeah, but what'd you name it? I've got my own here." Removed from the concealment of the cloak was Stane's desert eagle. "See? I call mine 'Piercing Ace.' And you?"

"… I don't name my weapons."

"Really?" Stane seemed legitimately surprised. "Gotta say, that's a little odd. Most Hunters I know like to name their –"

Stane could not finish his sentence as a noise interrupted him. Professors Ozpin and Goodwitch walked in front of the line of potential students, Ozpin clearing his voice to end all of the small chit-chat. They went over how their school teams would be formed.

"After you've partnered up," Ozpin explained, "make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."

_Blunt_, Leon and Stane both thought. _I like him already_.

"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"

"Yeah, um, sir –"

"Good! Now, take your positions."

The Arc siblings shared a look. "Uh, sir? I've got, um, a question. This landing... strategy thing... Uh, what is it? You're, like, dropping us off or something."

"No. You will be falling."

Before Jaune could give a follow-up question, Onni tapped his shoulder.

Onni had put on a dark leather jacket and armored greaves. A pair of sawed-off shotguns were holstered and attached to his lower legs. His arms were crossed, looking oddly at Jaune.

"Buddy, if you look to your left, you'll get a clear idea of what this 'landing strategy' entails." Jaune looked and widened his eyes. It wasn't long until it was his turn, and, as expected, he flailed about wildly.

X

Stane rolled forward and stood tall with his naginata after hitting the ground. He could still hear the other students screaming in the air. Quickly, he climbed up a tree to observe them fall. A couple screeched as they made contact with the foliage of the forest, providing the fuel for a minor chuckle.

_Can't see Blake. _Stane spat out the now flavorless candy from his mouth._ Aw well, she'd probably kick me ass sooner than partner up with me._

After identifying which direction was north, Stane began to hop from tree to tree. He raced as fast as he could, scrutinizing the horizon to spot any resemblance of a man-made structure. With any luck, he could size up whoever he came across without being seen and decide if he or she was an acceptable partner.

The past few months, Stane had been mostly hanging around deserts. It was definitely not an environment he would help advertise. The sand kept getting into his socks, the lack of vegetation and moisture nagged at his psyche. The lush, green woods were more than a welcome change. Traversing towering trees provided more elation than barren fields and dry rock formations.

He got lost in the pretty scenery a bit too much, however. Stane stepped on a branch that was too thin for the jump he was about to execute. The timber limb broke off and committed to a descent with the self-proclaimed free-running master. Thankfully, thankful at least for his pride, he did not outright shriek in panic. On the other hand, he did sloppily miss each chance to grab any oncoming branches.

His savior came in the form of a hand catching Stane's own and pulling him onto a larger, more stable branch. As Stane's torso hit the bark, he wrapped his legs around so that he wouldn't immediately fall over.

"You okay, pal?"

Stane let go of the hand and got to his feet. His new companion was crouching across from the redhead. One hand clutched the branch between his feet as the familiar-looking stranger smiled.

_Have I seen this guy before?_ Stane dropped the gnawing feeling and introduced himself. "Yeah. Thanks man." He flipped his legs to go into a sitting position. "I'm Stane. You?"

"Call me Onni." When they shook hands, they each could tell they had strong grips. "So, I'm guessing we're partners now," he said diffidently.

"Looks like." Stane's eye targeted on a certain small box sticking out of Onni's back pocket. "And that looks like some fruit-flavored gum. You wouldn't happen to be willing to share some, would you partner?"

About a mile away, Leon had just landed. He didn't account for a compact lake to dwell in the forest, and he didn't expect to end up nearly drowning in the aforementioned lake. Well, 'nearly drowning' is tad bit exaggerating, but he was gasping for air when reached the shore.

He didn't like water.

Leon listened to the rough-sounding footsteps drawing closer and closer. He was pretty sure it wasn't a Grimm, so he chose to continue trying to suck in more oxygen.

"Hello?" a feminine voice asked. A foot gently kicked Leon's side. "Um, are you alright?"

Leon carried out a pushup before springing to his feet. A lightly armored girl was leaning on her longsword, the blade standing up right with the pointy edge stabbed in the ground. He could only tell that it was girl because he recognized the face through the visor of her helmet.

"Have a nice swim?" the blonde asked genially. She was a head taller than Leon, like Stane.

"I'm fine." He began to look over his rifle, hopefully not permitting water damage to play its part with his recent modifications set. The barrel was slightly shorter than the length of his arm, painted white with black strips added to it. There was a basic sight, and the whole design gave a science fiction feel to its origin.

"Nice gun," the girl complimented. "My name's Megan Arc: this generation's next top Huntress. And you are?"

"I'm Leon." Once he confirmed that the firing mechanism should be fully functional, he set his rifle away into his duster coat. Slowly, he offered a palm to her. "Nice to meet you."

The response he acquired was a ruffling of his hair, the spiky-ness somewhat being amplified. "Likewise. Nice shades, kid."

"I'm not a kid," Leon instantly replied, pushing away the hand. He silently berated himself for reacting so strenuously, but Megan was not bothered by the snappy answer. She seemed amused with that grin.

"Come on honey, I'm just teasing you." She reached into a satchel and handed Leon a clean white rag. "Here; your face is still wet." Leon proceeded to dry his face without a word, and he did so without removing his sunglasses. "Why don't you take off those shades?"

"… I have my reasons."

As Megan put away the rag, she dislodged her sword from the ground. "Mmkay then. How about we get moving?"

X

"The last pair has been formed, sir," Goodwitch told Ozpin. They were watching over the forest back at the cliff. "Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. Poor boy... I can't possibly imagine those two getting along. Still, he's probably better off than Miss Nikos."

"Mmmm…"

"I expected that Jaune fellow to be much better prepared for this level of combat. Our mutual friend spoke highly of the Arcs when he sent their transcripts. However, it seems that the boy will only hold everyone down until he gets his act together." She sighed. "At their current pace, they should reach the temple within just a few minutes. Speaking of which, what did you use as relics this year?" Her question seems to have been ignored. "Professor Ozpin?"

Said professor was too busy looking at the live feed of Ruby and Weiss.

X

Onni sniffed.

"I smell Grimm."

Stane looked back to him questioningly. "You _smell_ Grimm?"

"You don't?" Onni took out both shotguns and warily watched their surroundings. "You ever actually hunted Grimm before? They have a distinct smell to them."

Stane sniffed and drew out his own gun. "Yeah, something's around here."

They cautiously surveyed for any black fur pass the greenery. There was a soft breeze, irritably trying to blow off both Stane's hood and Onni's beanie. As the two tried to strengthen their headwear's stability, they faced their backs toward each other.

The pistol-wielding Stane spotted a speck of a paw go under a bush. He fired.

One Ursa charged at them, three of its brethren revealing themselves from all around the hunters.

Stane fired a few more times, a bullet in particular penetrating the initial Grimm's forehead. Another Ursa attempted to tackle from his left, but he slid across the side of its back and landed behind the beast.

Onni pulled the triggers on his weapons when the other two Ursa got close enough. One took a great brunt of a shotgun shell and fell to its side. Onni's second target shrugged off the pain in its shoulder and continued its stampede. The Faunus hopped onto its neck and unloaded onto the top of its head. As the Grimm fell, Onni rolled off.

The Ursa that had not yet received any injuries charged at Onni. He jumped and spun behind a tree to avoid the attack. As it reoriented itself to charge again, Onni took the time to reload his shotguns. He dodged the Ursa's claws and fired again into its abdomen.

A battle cry equivalent growled out of the last surviving Ursa. It rushed forward to Stane. When he fired at it, only a single bullet was released before none followed afterward. Its eye may have been damaged, but it lunged straight for Stane. In response, He got down to his knees. As the Ursa soared over him, he stabbed in Falling Twilight into its chest. The naginata cut right through its stomach before Stane retracted it. He rolled out of the way of the falling body, reloading his gun and making sure the rest of the Grimm were dead.

"Nice knife," Onni remarked as he holstered his double-barreled weapons.

"Nice toys," Stane said back as he wiped off the blood on the blade.

A scream suddenly sounded off, causing the pair to take up their back-to-back formation again, weapons at the ready. The scream was clearly human, hysterical, and mobile by how it grew louder and then quieter.

Onni and Stane traded looks before running toward the direction of where the scream was echoing.

Meanwhile, Megan froze. Leon took a second to realize she had stopped moving.

"What is it?" he asked, her face completely expressionless.

"I feel a disturbance in the Force," she said as seriously as she could convey.

"…. What?"

A moment later, the scream reached their ears. While Leon looked on in bewilderment, Megan sighed.

"That's my brother."

"… Does your brother scream like that often?" Leon was sure that voice sounded less than robust or masculine in his honest opinion.

"Not often. More like occasionally, every now and then whenever he's desperately frightened 'bout something." Megan walked pass Leon before slowly moving into a jog. "Come on, I better go check on him."

"Shouldn't we be heading to the temple?" Despite Leon's question, he joined Megan in her faster pace.

"Don't worry, sweetie. We're still heading northward. We'll probably run into it on our way."

As the two pairs ran in the direction of the screech, the originator of the scream mentally chided himself.

_Stupid, stupid, STUPID, Jaune! Who builds a temple _inside _a cave? And, I panicked, again! Pyrrha can probably take care of herself, but already I'm an incompetent partner! This just might be the second worst day, ever, of all ti –_

Jaune crashed into something. His cheek pushed against what felt like metal, but there was the sensation of a fabric over it. Did he crash into a person? As Jaune's arms flung forward, he momentarily felt what must have been a handgun brush against his fingers.

When he opened his eyes, he saw that he had hit a guy in a cloak. As they began to near the ground at a disturbingly fast speed, they suddenly slowed down. The cloaked stranger had put an arm in front of him, and the blare of a wind current followed. Instead of hitting the ground, they somehow arced over where Jaune thought they would land. Jaune flew away from the cloaked figure and landed on his back, his head pounding onto the grass and dirt. His hands gripped his head and some strands of hair, turning over on the terrain.

When Stane had landed, he simply jumped back onto his feet, unimpeded by the unexpected tackle and the fall, save for the need to take a deep breath.

"Damn man," Onni muttered as he caught up to Stane from behind. "Maybe you should hold off on the woodland parkour from now on. Two times now it looked like you almost died."

"I'm fine," Stane said confidently, waving off the slightly concerned look.

"And the guy that crashed into you?" asked Onni, pointing toward the blond boy ahead of them.

"He's fine," he insisted in the same tone. Spotting the ruins of a stone building, Stane sauntered off toward it. Onni took one more glimpse at Jaune before joining his new partner.

When Stane spotted a certain avid reader, he launched up his arms and shouted goodheartedly.

"Blake!"

Yang appeared startled, but Blake merely touched her temple and shook her head. Stane tried to capture her into a hug. Blake made sure to avoid his gaze and stretched her foot to trip him. He went down face first onto the stone floor. Yang snickered at his descent.

"I'm guessing you two know each other," Onni asked as he nonchalantly walked forward, hands in his pockets. He smiled at Blake, who only nodded impassively back. He smiled at Yang, and she winked at him with a smirk.

Stane joined the three, rubbing his nose. "Still got that stick up your ass, Blake, huh?" She didn't dignify him with any response. "I pity the poor bastard that has to be your partner for the next few years."

"And that would be me," Yang declared cheerfully.

With his hood still on, Stane took a knee in front of Yang and gently lay a kiss on her hand. "Pleasure to see you again, Yang. Hopefully your beautifully bubbly personality can make Blake actually form a positive emotion."

Yang flicked off Stane's hood with her other hand, getting a perfect view of his face. Last night, it was partially hidden with his cloak, but now… "Oh, such a gentleman, and not half-bad looking, too. Momma likes."

"I aim to please, babe."

Another shriek resonated, causing everyone to look toward the sound. Unlike Jaune's scream, however, this one could be deciphered to be relaying coherent language.

"Heads up!"

"Ruby?" Yang said in confusion.

"Your sister, right?" Blake asked with just as much neutrality as she always spoke with. Yang nodded absently.

"Eh, she'll be fine," Stane claimed, but then he realized she was just flailing about, not trying to prevent herself from getting hurt from the fall. Onni seemed to notice this as well.

"Y'know what? Here's a thought: maybe we should try catching her instead of just waiting for her to hit the ground." Onni was already moving around with an eye on the falling girl, estimating where she might land.

Stane raised a foot, quickly brought it to the ground, and off he was, flying toward the descending girl.

Yang stumbled back, startled. "Whoa! What was that?"

Blake said, "Stane's semblance allows him to manipulate the wind." She smiled. "He can do all sorts of tricks."

Stane went up like a rocket but decelerated as the distance between him and Ruby decreased. He made a 180 degree swing and caught her in his arms. She was hugging his neck as they slowly made their way back down.

"You okay, Ruby?" All she could do was nod silently, still mesmerized. Eventually, they landed and released their hold on each other.

After a sequence of events where Nora riding an Ursa started singing, Ren meandered to the temple, and Pyrrha arrived while being chased by a Deathstalker, Yang decided that she had enough of the constant insanity.

"I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! Can everyone just chill out for two seconds before something crazy happens again?!"

"Bit too late for that," Onni muttered, pointing to the sky.

Weiss was hanging on for dear life on the talon of a Nevermore. "How could you leave me?" she yelled.

"I said, 'jump.'" Ruby called back.

"She's gonna fall," Blake blatantly stated.

"She'll be fine," Ruby defended.

"She's falling," Ren said.

"Yo, Stane," Onni whispered, "think you can do me a solid? Pop me up in the sky, let me catch her?"

Stane pulled his hood back over his head. "What, you gonna try to impress the Schnee heiress?"

"Sure let's go with that." Onni looked at his partner expectedly.

"Eh, fine. You saw what I did to catch Ruby, right? Just follow what I did. I'll make sure you won't get hurt." Stane stomped again and off Onni went.

Weiss fell into his arms. He carried her bridal style as they made their descent. "We have got to stop meeting like this, Weiss."

She slapped his arm. "Shut up. How are you even doing this?"

He smiled. "I just got a pretty good wingman as a partner." When they landed, she immediately escaped his grasp and refused to thank or look at him. Stane's formerly extended arms retreated back under the cloak.

At that moment, Pyrrha crashed into the dirt right next to them. "Great!" Yang said sarcastically. "The gang's all here! Now we can die together!"

"Not if I can help it." Ruby drew Crescent Rose ran straight for the Deathstalker.

Whilst Ruby carried out her attack, Megan and Leon exited a patch of woodwork and joined up with the group of junior hunters. Megan spotted her brother and was instantly by his side. Leon was about to follow when a certain ginger blocked his path.

Jaune sat with his legs crossed, finishing up the knot on a bandage around his head. His sister placed the tip of her blade under his chin, the blunt side pushing his gaze up to meet hers. He presented a weak smile to the frown wavering above him. Once Megan felt she was satisfied by what she saw, she wrenched him up to his feet.

"At least we know your singing career still has a chance," Megan said lightly, trying to lighten the mood. "Your voice can carry pretty far."

"Thanks Meg. I'm sure the ladies will love a guy who screams like a girl."

"Hey, don't get all sarcastic on me, brother. Now come on, got some artifacts to collect."

Off in the distance, the Deathstalker seemed to be struggling with a body part frozen in a lump of ice.

As the twins trekked toward the temple, Jaune quickened his pace to meet up with Pyrrha. Megan held back as she watched with a smile. Leon approached her and tossed something into her hands.

"A pawn?" she asked dubiously, eyeing the dark chess piece.

"First one I saw," Leon shrugged.

The Nevermore screeched. Jaune said worriedly, "Guys, that thing is coming back. What should we do?"

Megan spoke up. "Looks like we've got two options; stand and fight two very strong, very resilient Grimms in an open field, potentially dying in the process, or," she grinned at Jaune, "grab the artifacts, run and live, be home in time for dinner."

"She's right," Ruby supported. "Our mission is to grab an artifact and make it back to the cliffs. There's no point in fighting these things."

Jaune nodded enthusiastically. "Run and live – now that's a plan I can get behind!"

Before long, the congregation of initiates was running along the remains of a road. They eventually ran pass stone pillars, a collection of bridges surrounding another temple-like structure down the path. More ruins, presumably. The Nevermore flew over the Hunters and sat atop the tower overlooking the area. As each recently established pair of partners took cover behind a pillar, it gave a loud shriek.

"Looks like we're gonna have to fight that thing anyway," Onni said under his breath.

Just as he finished his sentence, three smaller Nevermores rose from the clouds hanging over the forest. Each was about half the size of the first gigantic bird. A select few of the local teens gulped.

"Must be its babies," Stane guessed.

"Oh, fan – fucking – tastic."

At that moment, the Deathstalker smashed its way through some trees and resumed its chase.

"Oh man, run!" Jaune said.

As everyone began running once more, black, sharpened feathers rained down with the Nevermore rising to the air. Nora dodged through the projectiles and brought out her lovely grenade launcher, firing at the bird. Megan ended up next to the girl in her haste to avoid the sharp quills.

Megan unsheathed her blade, the metal glowing with a teal aura. Her eyes also shone with the same tint as she swung her sword to the ground. A shockwave of blue-green energy disrupted, moving forward up and down, leaving small explosions in its trail. Eventually, it burst up into the air. An oversized triangular entity formed, exploded, and another materialized and took its place. The energy flew across the air and made contact with the Nevermore's foot. Similar shockwaves followed each time Megan hit the ground.

The Deathstalker roared from behind the two girls. Megan brought Crepitus toward it, another shockwave hitting the scorpion and momentarily disorienting it. Blake and Ren slashed their weapons to push it back further, allowing Megan and Nora to catch up with the rest of the students ahead of them.

They ran across a bridge to the tower. Leon and Stane brought out their firearms and let off potshots to the birds circling from above. Stane quickly began to wonder where the mother went when it suddenly appeared and rammed its head through the viaduct. Some hunters made it to across, others were stranded with the Deathstalker. Others still were unlucky enough to fall with the shattered remains of the bridge.

Stane, Onni, Leon, and Megan clung to the Nevermore for dear life. It did a classic barrel roll over the ruins. They each lost their grip, falling one by one. Before they fell, each put in a few cuts into the Nevermore's skin. Leon managed to stick in a grenade, the explosion blinding it enough for a wing to crash into another bridge.

The gods were feeling generous that day, as Stane would have like to put it, as he and Leon landed onto a junior Nevermore. Onni landed on another, allowing his claws in one hand to show and stab into its neck, fingers hidden in the feathery hide. His other hand used one of his sawed-offs to fire at its head. Nearby, Megan landed on the final baby, a circle of teal Aura pulsing out with her touchdown and her sword piercing its spine.

The longsword surprisingly worked well in piloting the immature Grimm. Onni's grip on his own bird's neck held the same effect. The two caught on fast and decided to shift their improvised vehicles into a collision course toward each other. Right before the birds collided, the hunters jumped off, flipping back and aiming their descent over the Deathstalker.

Despite not knowing each other for too long, Stane and Leon came up with a pretty simple plan to try to disable their bird. The taller of the pair injected the Nevermore with a decent dose of his naginata. His legs held tight around its large nape. Leon had his own legs wrapped around the neck, his back to Stane's. He fired across the backside of the Grimm with his rifle, Stane shooting with his pistol.

In the corner of his eye, Stane spotted Blake falling into the abyss below. Stane forced their ride to turn over, allowing him to stretch an arm to her. She grabbed on. As they flew up, Blake let go to attack the mother winged beast. Stane watched her to make sure she landed safely.

Another burst of energy exploded when Megan landed with her sword. The Deathstalker made a very shallow depression into where it stood. While Onni was still up in the air, he grabbed both of his shotguns. He put the ends of one pair of barrels to the other. Two opposite ends connected, and the separate guns began to fold out and rearrange themselves, collaging together to form a double-sided battle axe. He aimed it for an attack once he landed, but he saw Ren get thrown back by the Grimm. So, Onni moved and caught him, taking the blow of the impact against a stone pillar.

"You okay?" Ren asked after they had hit the grass. He pulled his comrade to his feet.

"Good, good," Onni reassured, despite the sore back. He led the charge back to the Deathstalker, Ren opening fire and Onni throwing his axe forward. The heavy weapon cut into the creature's natural armored coating. Megan sliced at its tail, hitting in between the plating before giving another burst of energy that knocked her away from the bridge and onto the grassy road. She flew over Onni and Ren, Onni removing his weapon and hitting the side of the Grimm, Ren carving against the opposite side.

Up in the clouds, Stane and Leon watched how Yang stood inside the mother Nevermore's beak and fired into its throat. Fueled by newfound inspiration, Stane propped their own Nevermore's mouth open with Falling Twilight. Leon found a good place to stand on the lower part of the beak. He grabbed the top part and fired from his hip, bullets traveling down its windpipe. The baby seemed to be unable to handle as much punishment as its mother as it stopped flapping its wings and slowly fell to its side, toward the empty mist below.

Leon snatched Stane's weapon and jumped out, tossing Twilight to the figure soaring off to land onto the partially destroyed central tower. The two reloaded their guns and were given a perfect view of Ruby dragging the mother up the side of a cliff. She killed the Grimm with an excellent finish, in Stane's opinion.

"Nice work, Leon," Stane cordially complimented, giving a flimsy salute.

"… Likewise."

Off in the distance, Onni and Nora were holding up Megan, who was panting with her Aura not glowing anymore. Sweat went down her face. She clumsily threw her helmet off, allowing the fresh breeze to flow through her hair.

"Exhausted?" Onni asked.

"Sort of," she gasped out. "Too much Aura use. No need to worry."

They waved to their partners off in the tower, silently congratulating each other for a job well done.

X

"And finally, Onni Capaneus, Leon Trapani, Megan Arc, Stane Sloane. The four of you selected the black pawn pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Solemn, led by Stane Sloane." The crowd cheered on, especially Teams RWBY and JNPR.

Leon internally groaned at having to spend more time with Stane, let alone having to follow his orders. Onni did not mind as much. Stane seemed like a decent guy, and Megan wanted to wait till he got to know her team better before judging. Stane himself nearly left the school grounds all together, not wanting to be the leader of anything. Nevertheless, he had old promises to keep, so he stayed.

Suddenly, the newly made team was pulled into a hug by Megan, who was giggling with a wide grin. Stane was still lost in his thoughts, so he held an emotionless expression. Onni welcomed the embraced and returned the favor, wrapping himself around everyone else. Leon made a choking noise, partially because of the unexpected hug and because he accidentally swallowed his gum.

A few more people entered the hug. Nora led her own team and RWBY into the crowd. The jumbling of bodies led them all to fall over the stage and into the audience.

Ozpin looked on with amusement, unfazed by the shouting and yelling. "Looks like things are shaping up to be an… interesting year."


	4. Kicking Off Day One - Part 1

**It really is a shame and a tragedy that Monty Oum, an inspirational man, has passed away. Obviously, he will be dearly missed, including by me. May he rest in peace.**

**X**

Onni yawned as he sat up from his bed, clad in only a pair of pants and an old short-sleeved shirt. The rest of his team was still asleep, the barest of natural light penetrating the glass window.

The dormitory was nothing fancy, merely a simple square room. Their beds were all lined up against a wall. Opposite it were their dressers, bookshelves, desks and other doodads and storage units. A few posters plastered the walls, and one portrait of a red forest. A door resided between two stacks of cardboard boxes, their access way to their personal bathroom. Their large window was complimented with a silvery curtain. Two desks were propped in a corner, desktops not set up completely.

As Onni threw over his sheets and got out of bed, he performed his morning stretches in silence, extending his arms and legs in regular intervals. He glanced around at his teammates' sleeping faces.

He barely knew any of them, and he hadn't seen enough to know if he could trust them with his secret. If he couldn't, the next few years would be mighty troublesome. If otherwise, things would go a lot smoother to his liking.

Onni spotted a scroll charging on Stane's bedside table. Not one for needless waste of energy, Onni unplugged the charger. The scroll's screen became vibrant with life. Out of simple curiosity, Onni swiped the device to see what his new partner was up to last night.

It was an article, highlighting recent events related to Capaneus Industries. The family with the namesake was featured in a photograph.

A groan caught Onni's attention. He quickly placed the scroll down and turned to the noise.

"Howdy, partner," Megan Arc waved sleepily. She rubbed her eyes as she slowly got out of bed. Her voice was soft, not wanting to disturb their companions.

"Good morning. You feeling better?"

"Better. Better sounds right." The young woman swiped a pill bottle and a water bottle beside her bed. She swallowed two pills, downing it with her drink. After letting the medication carry out its function, she burped and stretched her arms. "Much better. Aura exhaustion's hell of a bitch. What time is it?"

"Hmm, looks like around six." Onni began to sift through his clothing drawers. "I'm getting the shower first, alright?"

Megan responded dismissively. "Yeah, yeah, rich kid." At the nickname, Onni froze.

He knew that people would turn their heads to him last night, Ozpin announcing Onni's last name. Luckily, no one brought it up, but it looked like his team caught on.

"Don't call me that," Onni said firmly, "at all." He made his way to the bathroom. As he opened the door, he looked back once more. "Ever," he emphasized before shutting the door.

X

"I knew that was where I recognized you from," Stane exclaimed with a snap of his fingers. "Capaneus Industries, world's second best and technology and weapons distributor, maybe even better than the Schnee Dust Company." Stane took a sip of his coffee. "You make some pretty good hardware."

Team SOLM had situated themselves in a fairly large kitchen. Within the dormitory building resided this room, several cabinets, two refrigerators, and a few tables and wooden chairs sitting around the center. Leon and Stane sat atop a counter while Megan and Onni leaned back. All were in their school uniforms, Stane wearing his cloak, Onni wearing his beanie, and Leon still wearing his shades. Megan discarded her helmet for now and was content with her ponytail.

"I'm _not _Capaneus Industries," Onni said firmly. "It isn't _my _hardware."

"Why not?" Leon questioned. "You're the heir, or at least the founders' son. You ought to have access to all their products."

Onni snorted. "That's what everyone tells me, but that ain't the case. Parents don't want me being too dependent on the family fortune."

"They sound lovely," Megan suggested, taking a bite out of a piece of toast.

"Listen guys." Onni spun a spoon around his cup, stirring the liquid as he made sure he could see everyone's face from where he stood. "I really don't want my parents' company to be brought up. I'd rather not talk about it. Ever."

Leon was ready to object, but Stane stuffed his mouth with a slice of bread.

"Onni," Stane drawled out calmly, "if you don't want us to say Capaneus all the time, we won't." He looked pointedly at the other pair to their team. "Right guys?"

"Of course, Cap'n!" Megan mock saluted, giving Onni a pleasant and reassuring smile. Leon tore the bread in his mouth in half, some still in his mouth and the other in his hand.

"Sure," he answered, his expression flat.

"Well, looks like we're all in agreement." Stane raised his drink forward, speaking in an inexpressive manner. "Onni henceforth is no longer Onni Capaneus, but now just Onni." He flashed a grin under his hood in his partner's direction. "Toast, anybody?"

They all knocked cups together before each taking a large swig.

"Thanks guys," Onni quietly said. "Most people always nag at me 'cause of all that Industries crap."

"We're different," Megan responded, as if it was obvious. "You couldn't tell?" She dipped the tip of her cup to her lips.

Onni chuckled at that before taking another sip. "As far as first impressions go, you guys ain't half bad."

"Likewise," Stane nodded, taking a swig for himself.

Three members of Team SOLM suddenly realized that their mugs were emptied of their rather delectable drink. They turned to Leon who was nibbling at his bread.

"Hey, Leon, sweetie," Megan coquettishly spoke, "do you think you could brew us a little more coffee?" She slowly inched closer to Leon, the boy unconsciously tried to shrink away from her.

"Sure," he repeated, sounding more withdrawn as he slipped off the counter and sifted through a cabinet.

"Care to brew two more cups?" a voice asked, the sound of steps echoing louder and louder. A calm, simple gait could be heard under the more animated thuds. A blurred, fast-moving figure sat on Onni's shoulders, almost pushing him off balance.

"Awesome Onni!" Nora greeted, supporting herself with a hand on her friend's head. Onni could practically see her take a deep breath before spouting into a long monologue, despite his head being pushed away from her face. However, another sliver of toast found a home within the interior of a mouth. Nora fell off and hit the textile floor.

"Nora!" Ren was at her side in moments, but she was unharmed. She pouted at Stane, the hood being pulled over his face to help shield his smirk.

"Like Ren said," Onni called to Leon, "make us two more cups, please?" He turned to his similarly dressed companion. "Where's the rest of your team?"

"Still asleep. Nora woke up early, so we went down here to pass the time."

Introductions took place, Team SOLM either waving or planting kisses onto Nora's palm. Stane received his own mouthful of bread, Nora smiling happily as he nearly choked just as Leon had previously. Ren and Onni simultaneously let out sighs.

"Touché," Stane responded once he flushed down the offending breakfast snack with a cup of coffee near Leon's workface. "Really, Leon, where'd you learn how to make this? Can't get enough."

"Oh! Gimme some!" Nora attempted to filch an unsuspecting mug from the collection growing in number, but a fork slapped away her hands.

"Now, now," Megan berated in a deceptive tone mimicking that one of a lecturing parent, "wait your turn, missy. Leon's gotta make a few more for all of us before anyone gets any. Except for the Cap'n, of course. He's team leader, so he gets special privileges."

"Ahhh, no fair!"

The following soliloquy was blotted out by most of those present. Onni and Ren each kept an ear open to her as they conversed. Stane and Megan lost interest in Nora's speech fast and subtlety went to their scrolls, glancing at the Valkyrie periodically. Leon all the while tried to stay focused on his work, but the constant, upbeat voice just began to scrape at his psyche. It seemed like a more spirited version of Stane's persistent curiosity and questions.

"Here," he shoved his lastly made mug to her. He passed the rest to everyone else.

Nora eyed her drink enviously before taking in a large gulp. Ren made sure to watch her as she drank.

She let the contents of the drink settle in her taste buds.

Leon tumbled back onto the counter as Nora practically pinned him to the edge. She gave such a wide smile that intimidated Leon, her face only a few inches away from his.

"This," Nora spelled out, "tastes," emphasizing each word, "great!" She brought the cup between their noses. "French vanilla, a hint of cinnamon, that _divine_ flavor swimming around." Nora jumped, just high enough to avoid hitting the ceiling. "It's just perfect!" After swallowing the rest of her drink, she offered it back to Leon. "Could you make some more? Please, please, pretty, pretty please?"

"I – wait, what?" Leon stuttered at the hyperactive girl. "Just – no, hold on."

"Nora," Ren pulled her back, "you're scaring him."

"Ah, Reeeeeeeeeee –"

"Calm down, Nora," Onni interrupted, pouring the remainder of his coffee into her cup. "You can have mine." As she thanked him for the generous offer, Onni turned to Leon. He was sucking in air through his nose, steadying his breath. "Seriously though, where'd you learn how to make coffee? It does taste great."

Leon gave a shudder, and Onni took that as a shrug. "My… uncle taught me. He was a chef."

Nora got near her face again. "What's his name? Does he sell this coffee? Does he own a shop? What does –"

Her two closest friends had to drag her back once more.

X

"Monsters! Demons… prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as prey."

Team SOLM sat to the left of RWBY. Just as was the majority of today's class, they were doing their best to stay awake or to simply pay attention to Professor Port. Weiss was the exception, doing a fair job at maintaining a consistent focus. However, it irked her that Ruby and Onni were off in their own little worlds, sketching on their notepapers.

Ruby drew a crude and mocking image of Professor Port, exaggerating his weight and naming her interpretation "Professor Poop." Onni presented the Rose his own picture: Port in a Samurai get up and battling various Grimm. Port's eyes were magnified greatly, as were his teeth, facial hair and muscly arms. Ruby held in a chuckle. The actual Professor glanced suspiciously at the two before returning to his lecture.

Weiss glared at her team leader, but Ruby paid no mind. So, Weiss glared at Onni, hoping to get him to stop all of these shenanigans. However, he just smirked at her, instead going back into his drawing. Ruby began to doze off, not even paying attention to Professor Port very much.

The Professor did seem very full of himself, and Weiss could see how someone could get bored of him, but this was Beacon Academy. This school is one of the best in all of Remnant. A number of the Schnee Dust Company's off-the-books hired help had attended Beacon before. Graduates became world renown, the strongest of the toughest Huntsmen.

"A true Huntsman must be honorable."

And Ruby… this… overenthusiastic, inexperienced brat is supposed to be Weiss's partner _and _her leader?

"A true huntsmen must be dependable."

A child that was barely disciplined and who hadn't even completed all of her courses in Signal Academy at that as well.

"A true huntsmen should be strategic, well-educated, and wise!"

Everything that Ruby Rose is gloriously the prime example of, right?

"Who among you believes yourself to be an embodiment of these traits?"

One fist slammed the desk while the other punched into the air. "I do, sir!" Weiss proclaimed.

X

Onni discreetly popped another piece of gum into his mouth as he watched Weiss get into battle-ready position_. _

_A Boarbatusk? Heh, does that bring memories._

He looked at her eyes. Pure hate, as expected. She scratched its side as it tried to ram into her. When it came at her again, her blade got stuck between its tusks.

"Come on Weiss! Show it who's boss!" Ruby's cry of support distracted Weiss long enough for the Grimm to throw Myrtenaster behind itself.

_Oh, Weiss, you're better than this._

Onni laid further back into his chair, his optimistic expression shifting to that of slight disappointment. Weiss could see him shaking his head as she rolled out of the way of another ramming. She rearmed herself with her rapier. The boar spun for an attack, but she maneuvered around it, utilizing her glyphs. With swiftness, she thrust her blade into the Grimm's stomach, watching it go limp and die.

Ruby shrunk back when her partner glared at her. Onni merely smirked back when she turned her gaze to him. When Mr. Port declared that class was over, Weiss stomped out with Ruby hot on her heels. Team SOLM left together, aiming to eat brunch in the cafeteria.

Stane punched Onni's shoulder once they were in the hallways. "So I'm guessing you know the Schnee heiress?"

"Yeah," Onni replied smoothly. "She's my future wife."

"Heh. Makes senses I guess, heir and heiress hooking up."

"Being heirs has nothing to do with it," Onni averred. "That's just how we met. I plan on marrying her regardless if either of us ends up running our namesakes." Onni spoke with a lot of confidence, a glint in his eyes that compelled Stane to believe him.

"You two dating?" Stane asked curiously. "If so, I'll have to mark Schnee off the list of babes I'm looking to score with."

"Ah, so you're a man-whore," Onni stated bluntly.

"I prefer just whore, my friend. 'Man' in there implies gender inequality if you ask me."

Onni chuckled at the dry comeback. "Weiss and I aren't dating, but I know she'll love me."

"Well, I wish you luck then." Stane gave a supportive pat on the back. "You ever need a wingman, I'm your guy partner."

"What are you guys talking about?" Megan chimed in. She was walking a few feet behind the pair alongside Leon

"Bro code crap," Stane answered. "Don't trouble yourself over it."

Megan smiled. "You know, Cap'n, maybe we should schedule some team-bonding sessions. None of us really know each other."

Onni gave a strong laugh. "She's on to something, 'Captain.' Maybe we can all share stories during brunch."

"Makes sense," Leon supported quietly. "I don't trust any of you. Talking could change that."

"Oh, sweetie," Megan wrapped an arm around Leon. "You don't trust me? Your own dear partner?"

"I hardly know you."

"Come on, Leon." Stane ruffled his teammate's hair, much to his chagrin. "You and I got to know each other pretty well when we first met."

They four entered the cafeteria. It was more of a square room than the larger, rectangular dining hall, but not as many students were eating brunch. Simple picnic styled tables were set in rows, a queue of windows painting one wall that gave a good view of the main avenue of the school.

"Jauny boy!" Megan suddenly yelled, throwing her arms in the air. Off in the distance, Nora shrieked her nickname for Onni with her own arms in the air. After getting their trays of food, Megan grabbed her teammates and dragged them to Team JNPR, seated by a window. The two teams sat across from each other.

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced," Pyrrha pointed out, seeing the Arc siblings, Onni, Nora, and Ren slip into their own conversations.  
>"I'm Pyrrha Nikos."<p>

Stane was too lazy to kneel and kiss the green eyed beauty before him, so he just shook her hand. "I'm Stane. Stane Sloane, lover of chewing gum and badass Spartans." He winked before motioned to his left, spouting out the names of each member in his team. Pyrrha was mildly amused. "And what's on your résumé?"

Pyrrha shrugged offhandedly. "Well, I am fan of Spartan-like culture as well."

"No kidding?" He began to chew at his food. "Now, no offense or anything, but how does a sparkling warrior like you become the poster girl for a cereal box? Hell of an endorsement for a shitty breakfast meal, if you ask me."

Nikos' smile faltered, if only for a split second. "I didn't mind, and I'm glad to be seen as a good role model for children."

Leon abruptly performed a spit take of his drink, startling those around him. "_You're_ the one on the cover of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes?" he not quite exclaimed, his mouth gaping open.

Stane and Pyrrha exchanged a bemused look. "Yes, I am," Pyrrha responded.

Leon stared at her for a little while longer. With his shades on, you couldn't tell if he was staring at her face, her entire body, or even something pass her. Pyrrha stared back, and everyone else waited for a reaction.

Finally, Leon said, "You look… different… in person."

"Oh… kay," Pyrrha said hesitantly. Leon continued to stare. "Is there something about me that is bothering you?"

Stane flicked Leon's ear. "You still here, Leon? Star struck about meeting your alluring celebrity crush?"

"No," was the deadpanned response. Leon revealed a sharpie and his small personalized pistol. "May you please sign this?"

"Ah, a fan I see." Stane nearly choked from his drink as Leon stomped his foot as Stane was taking a sip.

"To whom should I sign this to?" Pyrrha asked, relaxing. "To you or…?"

"To Miltia, please," Leon responded politely.

"Oh, oh!" Nora perked up. "Is Miltia the fan with the crush?"

"Not a crush, just an… admiration." Leon took the utensil and autographed weapon back. "Thank you."

"You're… welcome." Pyrrha smiled, no matter how awkward the interaction was. "Are you trying to impress this Miltia? Does she attend Beacon?"

Leon shook his head. "No, and no, but you were a huntress role model for her, as she's told me. You were an inspiration to her."

"I'm happy I can motivate a fellow huntress-in-training. Perhaps –" Pyrrha caught herself off. Should she avoid potentially another rabid fan or see if she could meet this Miltia? Pyrrha has been told that she ought to make more friends.

A distracting cry of pain saved her from making a decision.

"Ow! That hurts!" A long haired brunette Faunus was passing by a nearby table when someone roughly clasped his hand around one of her bunny-like ears sprouting from her head. The bully pulled at the ear, much to delight of himself and three nearby individuals.

_Team Cardinal_, observed an irate Stane. Everyone at his table had turned to witness the public display of harassment.

"Cardin," Leon noted. "Russel, Dave, and Sky," naming each member. "I don't know who the Faunus is."

"The hell is he doing?" Megan muttered, glaring at Cardin who was still playing with the stranger's animalistic body part.

"Being a bully," Nora answered distastefully.

Onni noisily rose from his seat. As he passed by Stane, a hand grabbed his shoulder.

"And what do you plan on doing?" Stane questioned.

"Separate them, kick Cardin's ass." Onni looked to his team leader. They stared at each other for a split second. The two were continuing on their way afterward.

Cardin and his gang were still snickering.

"I told you it was real!"

"What a frea –"

Two loaves of bread found themselves inside two vacant, open mouths. Cardin, startled, released his hold and fell back to the edge of his table. The green-haired fellow, Russel, fell directly onto the floor. The remaining two lackeys looked astonishingly to the new arrivals.

"Hey there, fellas." Stane made himself comfortable, sitting next to Cardin. Onni stood and leaned by his partner. "You guys look like you could learn a thing or two about the hardships of life."

Cardin spat out the loaf and glared at his offenders. "And just who do you think you are? We were just playing around with the little w'abbit here."

"Ah, and here's your first lesson." Stane flicked Cardin in the forehead. Onni discreetly suggested the female Faunus to leave. She sat at another table, but he could tell she was listening to the conversation. "You shouldn't play with your target when you're hunting. No, you need to weaken it, fast and efficient as you can. Then you move in for the kill." Stane emphasized "kill" by stabbing into a bagel on Cardin's tray and helping himself to it.

"It's easier said than done," Onni advised, speaking before an indignant looking Russel could say anything. "You need proper execution. Things can get messy when you're hunting. You can end up pissing off people you don't want. They might start hunting you."

"Ease off," Cardin said impolitely. He tried to shove Stane, but his right hand was trapped onto the table. His fingers twiddled between the ends of the fork.

"So are you a racist bastard or you just naturally good at being a dick?" Cardin struggled but his hand was firmly locked in place.

"I don't have to answer to you, you son of a –"

"Buddy, please." Onni sat near Cardin and wrapped his arm around him, acting as if the two were good friends. "You need to be careful of the things you hunt. Some can go down easy, but others don't give a damn about you, unless well," the sound of gun cocking was heard, "you do something stupid and screw yourself over."

Each member of Team CRDL froze at the possibility of a gun being put into play. Their eyes widened larger than any of them could have imagined. The Faunus girl was acting in a similar manner. Most bystanders only turned their heads at the sound effect, but they mostly shrugged it off and continued to mind their own business.

The bell rang. Movement in the cafeteria accelerated, students stirring and exiting.

"That was your first lesson." Onni patted Cardin's arm before rising.

"We'll see if you need any more remedial classes in the future." Stane patted Cardin's cheek and released his hand, making his way back to his team. Cardinal was thunderstruck and dazed before forcing themselves to leave, glaring at the backsides of their two aggressors.

Onni approached the Faunus girl. "What's your name?"

She was startled at his approach but answered, "My name if Velvet. Thank you for that, but –"

"Velvet, I'm Onni. Stay away from Cardin. He, my partner, and I have got business, and we don't want you in the crossfire." He left, not bothering to hear Velvet's response. He joined his team as they departed from the room.

"So," Megan enunciated once they were in the halls, "did you two just make Team CRDL our rival team?"

"Nah," was the simultaneous reply. Stane continued with, "They're pests, if anything."

"They try anything," Onni affirmed, "we'll handle it."

"How noble of you," Megan commented, "but I'm hoping 'we' also includes the rest of us."

"Bullying for recreation is wrong," Leon uttered in a somber tone. "It's barbaric, savage."

"I've had my share of bullies," Megan added, "and I've shown them why they ought to not mess with me. I'm betting that Cardin scumbag is no different."

Stane looked contemplative for a moment. "First day of school, and already we've formed an anti-bullying ring, haven't we?"

"Looks like," Onni agreed. "I'm starting to like this team."

A lonely voice dropped into their conversation. "At least someone is."

Megan waved enthusiastically. "Hey Ruby!" Once she noticed the younger pupil's negative attitude, she said, "Why the long face?"

"Weiss hates my guts." Ruby's frown shivered into a more neutral but still depressive outlook. "I want to work with her, but she just doesn't like me."

"Don't worry – Ruby, right?" Onni matched his pace with hers. "I'm Onni. Remember me, the guy who marvelously saved Weiss's life from that fall during initiation."

She nodded, slowly grinning.

"I've known Weiss since we were kids. She acts like she hates my guts, but that's just how she is. It takes a little while for her to open up to someone, let alone someone she just met. Give it time, trust me."

"I guess. Maybe." Ruby still seemed dejected, but her shoulders no longer sagged and her eyes shone brighter than a minute before.

"Where's your team, anyway?" Stane asked.

"Oh, I –" The Rose's face suddenly resemble the color scheme of a ruby. "I… don't know. After I went after Weiss, I lost track of Blake and my sister. We do each have our schedules with us, though, so we know what our next class is."

"What's your next class?"

"It's, umm, dueling class. And it's, ugh –"

"Requires us to gather in the locker rooms," Leon finished for her. "Our teams have the same class next."

"Oh, that's nice, um," Ruby waved inelegantly for the shades-wearing boy to give his name, but it looked like he was staring off into the space in front of him. "We haven't met yet, have we?"

"No." And Leon deemed the dialogue concluded.

"This little munchkin is called Leon." Megan put her hand over his hair. He nearly punched her offending wrist, but stopped short when the hand merely lay suspended overhead. "He's not a very social little bugger."

"Not much for conversation," Stane agreed.

Ruby was not quite deterred by these characteristics. "Well, Leon, I'm Ruby. Nice to meet you!" She raised a hand for a handshake. Leon stared at her through his sunglasses before obliging her.

"I'm Leon…. Nice to meet you as well."

Ruby continued with her lively smile.

"Well look at that," Stane chimed in. "You've got one not so social person to befriend you. At this rate, Weiss and you will be best friends by the end of the week."

"Thanks for your support."

"Eh, it's what I do."

By this point, Onni and Megan were walking side by side and carrying their own side discussion. Onni finally spoke and asked, "Stane, are you and Ruby related?"

The two hunters in question were taken aback. "What?"

"You look a little similar, height levels aside."

Ruby shook her head as she eyed Stane closely for herself. "I don't hink we're related."

Megan pointed to the pair's attire. "You both like to wear cloaks, have bits of red in your hair."

"Remarkable detective skills Holmes, Watson," Stane said straight-faced, "but I can tell you with absolute certainty that I would know if I had some long lost relative somewhere in Remnant."

Megan sneezed profusely.

"Bless you," everyone within two meters said.

"Thanks."


End file.
